


Timeline

by KonohanaShuffle



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 61
Words: 145,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KonohanaShuffle/pseuds/KonohanaShuffle
Summary: Summary still works after all this time: Time travel, MegaMan X, and the futility of trying to change the future.Giving Timeline another place to exist on the Internet, since it's not on my web site ... or even my hard drive, at this point. To give you some context, I wrote this story across 1995 and 1996, between middle school and high school. I could say a lot of things about it, but ... eh, I ain't gonna. Here she is, warts and all.(I further note that a friend of mine from those days worked with me on the last third or so of the story. And any of the incredibly minor characters that shouldn't have had names are named after my classmates and teachers at the time.)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Tourian and Flurry

Tourian's eyes flickered with a brief light before he "woke" from standby. Shifting his shoulders in a mannerism that he had adopted from watching his human creator, he glanced up and around at the cubicle the scientist had been assigned to. The man himself lay slumped and asleep at a computer.

"You shut down without putting him to bed," growled a low voice at his elbow.

He nearly jumped, recognizing the voice. "Shut up, Flurry. Just let him sleep. He likes it better there, anyway."

He spoke in hushed, angry tone, trying not to wake the man up.

The female he spoke to looked affronted, crossing her arms in disgust. "That isn't -" She suddenly took his arm and hauled him out into the hallway. "That isn't the point, Tourian! You're so - irresponsible." She looked back into the room they had just exited. "He's tired, isn't he?"

Tourian looked back too, frowning. "He says he's just down on his luck."

"You know better." Concern touched her eyes as she glanced back at him. "The Company's treated him bad. He doesn't deserve the crap they're dishing out."

He jutted a thumb down the hall, and she nodded. In silence they slipped down the once-new, once-clean hallway, lined with faded doors badly in need of a fresh coat of paint. A wolfish figure was crouched at the outer door, and he rumbled a metallic greeting as the two approached. Flurry motioned the big dog to silence, and Tourian ruffled his ears.

"Where's Jackdaw?" he muttered suddenly, as Flurry opened the door, allowing a rush of cool air to blow in.

"He's probably at the perimeter. I told him to go on outer patrol tonight."

"Ayrmin didn't notice." Or didn't care. Tourian could never tell.

Flurry made a dismissive gesture. "When does that dog notice anything?"

Tourian didn't answer, feeling sharp, orange eyes at his back as they stepped out into the night. Flurry knew better than to say things like that. A flea couldn't pass by Ayrmin without the dog noticing. The enhanced senses of a robot made sure of that. He set his jaw. The Third Discovery. Was that what they'd called it? Robots, computers, and the occasional - well, all manner of vehicular transportation roamed the streets, alleys, and dirt roads of the city - but there were only a few advanced vehicles left on the road. Even the scientist had only a - '96? - Ford truck. The rich people had the 2000 models.

"Tourian - do you suppose we could help him?"

He blinked. "Help -? He wouldn't take that from us."

She glared up at him. "I didn't say we had to tell him. What is it he's been working on this time?"

"Time." Tourian grinned darkly at her. "The Company wants a time machine. They're idiots. The only time one of those worked, we lost three other robots and the two scientists they were trying to protect."

He saw her suppress a shudder. "Lost them. That's what the newsread said. I was there, so were you. The Company's bad news, Tourian."

The Company - also known as the World Robotics and Technology Administration. Tourian ground his teeth. Bad news did not begin to describe the sprawling network that had pretty much the entire planet in an iron grip. The Company had a monopoly on anything remotely - remotely - technological, down to the kitchen sink. Every scientist in the world had flocked to its doorstep as it gained power - including Dr. Kreyin. Of course, they treated their scientists well enough - until something they didn't like happened.

Like the Third Discovery.

Kreyin had been digging around an old site in the Ruins, an old city of twenty-first and twenty-second centuries, and he found some files - computer files. He got access to them, naturally - he'd been a hacker in his youth - and the story of an age, a robotic age, unfolded before him. Tourian had downloaded the files for himself, going through a stage of curiosity much like a child of four or five. Flurry knew about them. He, Flurry, Ayrmin, and Jackdaw were based on designs from those files. He smiled thinly, wondering if the scientist could have possibly guessed what his discovery would lead to.

The Company pounced on it, of course. They promoted him three times as he began building the robots - based on those fool schematics. Marketed worldwide - every home had to have one. They hadn't been seen in two centuries, at least. Until -

"Tourian, you're thinking again."

Flurry's voice jolted every line of thought out of place, and he frowned down at her. "Why'd he make you so short?" he demanded suddenly.

"What?" Her voice hovered barely below a shriek. "Of all the - Tourian, you say the stupidest things!"

He winced. "Don't wake him up."

She stalked ahead of him in a huff, refusing to say another word. He couldn't make sense of her sometimes. Kreyin was a very good programmer. Other than their appearance, no one would guess they weren't human. Every thought process, every gesture smacked of humanity. Maybe it came with the territory. He looked at her silently.

Dark auburn hair flowed to her waist, covering a leather belt that held her harmonic wave-knife. The belt was a gift from Kreyin, as was the knife. She wore it all the time, contrasting oddly with her gleaming armor and dark eyes. Funny, that. Other than the eyes, Flurry had been made in the image of Kreyin's daughter, dead in a car accident years before. He himself - well, he didn't really know where his design had come from. Unruly black hair was covered by a flaring helmet of white - along with gold accents. His armor was colored the same way, and Flurry's was pale grey, marked with blue.

She turned around and walked back to him, eyes searching. "Has he told you anything about this project?"

His mouth twisted angrily. "I had to break into his files just to find out what he's supposed to be doing. When he found out, he locked me out of everything else."

She tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. "That's beside the point, Tourian. Can't you get past him?"

Tourian snorted. "He designed the lockout specifically for the two of us. That's the only reason I don't have everything I need to know."

She looked crestfallen. "Oh."

He put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "He doesn't want our help on this one, Flurry - he doesn't even want us involved."

Her face turned toward him, hurt. "He's always trusted us before. What's different now?"

Tourian did not reply, even though a response rose to mind. The scientists - the robots - ripped apart like paper. The very fabric of reality that made them up - disintegrated, right before everyone's eyes. Right before the head of the Company's eyes. And what had she said? Try to get it right, next time. If Dr. Kreyin had had anything to say about it, there wouldn't have been a "next time."

But he hadn't had anything to say about it. And he'd been fired earlier because of the disaster with his robots - his robots. The Company had put the blame squarely on his shoulders. Tourian closed his eyes - determined to remember, not to suppress what he hated thinking about.

"Do you remember Zephyr?" he asked softly, and Flurry began to play absently with a lock of her hair, another human mannerism, obviously not wanting to.

"Yeah," she said finally. "She was the best." Flurry dropped her hair and turned a glance around the dim, deserted parking lot - or what used to be a parking lot. Zephyr had been like a sister. Of course, I remember. "Why'd you have to bring her up, anyway?" she demanded harshly, then angrily at her harshness.

Tourian winced. Zephyr had been one of the first - one of the first to be built, one of the first to go crazy. Kreyin woke one morning to find a wall smashed down, littering rubble over the bodies of two of his lab workers and one of a robot. And one after another the others went crazy, too. Kreyin went a week without sleep trying to find out what went wrong - a flaw in programming, a virus, something. Flurry and Tourian, among the last and built by Kreyin himself, were locked in stasis for three months, along with Jackdaw, Ayrmin, and Tremor, running tests, trying to figure a solution. They were safe now, and almost the only ones left.

Robots were illegal, despite that the Company refused to change its name.

Kreyin's failure landed him in the garbage pile, safely away from the public eye, and working on whatever projects the Company thought too risky for their successful scientists.

He was expendable, and that was all there was to it. Especially since he was supposed to be dead. Two weeks after the disaster had been contained, the Company leaked a report to the media - and by morning, the entire world knew of the death of Dr. Janus Kreyin. And they had laughed in his face when he begged to do something useful - to carry on his own work. Laughed! Said they'd have him killed first.

"I don't know why," he said quietly to Flurry, who was glaring at him expectantly. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged abruptly, turning her back. "It'll be light soon. We'd better go back in."

The sound of a door slamming violently against a wall spun them both to face the building. Kreyin himself burst outside, trailed by a worried Ayrmin.

"Tourian! Flurry! I need your help inside - I think I've got something that'll get us out of this rut!"

Flurry winced. "Dr. Kreyin - it's late - early. Go back to bed - this can wait -"

"Don't mother me, Flurry," the middle-aged man snapped sharply, then seemed taken aback by his own tone. "This can't wait. I've got a breakthrough - a brainstorm! Hurry!"

Ayrmin rumbled anxiously at him as he ran back through the door and barked sharply at a tree on the far end of the lot. An annoyed-sounding birdcry answered him.

Tourian shook his head, and Flurry growled something furious, stalking toward the open door. Tourian thought it was, "What - was the man born in a barn?"


	2. Discoveries

By the time Tourian made it back to the cubicle, Kreyin was already madly at work, muttering softly as he tapped away at the keyboard. Flurry stood nearby, looking over his shoulder, disbelief painting her face. She held a mug of coffee in both hands, gripping it tightly enough to shatter it. Tourian approached cautiously, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

Her sole response was to drop the coffee mug on the floor, where it did shatter.

"Don't tell me you meant to do that," he grunted, stooping over to clean up the mess.

"Shut up, Tourian."

"Huh. Anything you say."

Kreyin suddenly rounded on them both, crying out, "This is it! I'll be out of the rut in no time! They have to promote me for this."

Tourian staggered back, trying to avoid a fall, and Flurry yelped, catching the man's arm.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Doc?"

"Talking about? Talking? I'm dancing, singing - jumping for joy!" The scientist's smile nearly split his face. Then he went deadly serious. "I've got to go into town. I'll need some supplies."

"It's three in the morning!" Flurry objected.

"Please," the man snorted. "I won't be taking you."

"No," Tourian replied. "You have to take someone. If not us, then -"

"Who? Ayrmin? Jackdaw? Be serious." The man was fussing about with his somewhat rumpled clothing, running over to a pile of sweaters and pulling one out. "They'll look just as suspicious as you."

"Tremor, then," Flurry said firmly. "They've seen him before."

Kreyin paused. "Well, yes. They have. I suppose -"

A disgruntled growling noise issued from under the sweaters, where a cat lay curled, pretending to be asleep. Tremor eased himself to his feet, simply too good for the rabble he associated with. His mouth opened in a wide yawn.

"Behave yourself, Tremor," Flurry muttered, "And keep an eye out. Both of them, if you can avoid looking at your own reflection."

Tourian snickered, and Kreyin shook his head wearily. "You two keep an eye out yourselves. People might come around . . ." He shrugged, reaching for his lab coat, then jerking his hand away. Too many might recognize him with it, he knew. They all knew.

As Kreyin hurried out the door, Tremor in close pursuit, Flurry gestured for Tourian to join her at the computer. He looked at it in silence, taking in the schematics, calculations, and general nonsense in a glance. Even so, he continued to stare.

"A time machine," he breathed finally. "The real thing."

"And it might even work!" Flurry was silent for a long moment after her statement.

Tourian still couldn't believe what lay before him on the screen. His mind scrambled about from possibility to possibility, never resting on one for long, and always coming up with another. He didn't hear Flurry speak until she demanded if he'd heard her.

"Didn't you hear me? We can't let them have this."

"What?" Tourian stared at her. "Why - not?" he asked, belatedly realizing the answer.

"Think of the power they'd have! We can't put the world in that kind of danger - we can't!" She reached for the keyboard unthinkingly. Tourian snatched her hand away from the controls.

"We can't stop them, either. Nothing short of killing them would stop them, and we can't do that."

She grimaced bitterly. "The Laws, of course. The Laws. But - wouldn't letting them have this break them? Maybe not the same way, but we're putting humans in danger, Tourian."

He frowned. "We can use it to stop them."

"What?" Her mouth twitched in the faintest semblance of a smile. "But - Dr. Kreyin wouldn't like it."

Tourian shrugged, echoing earlier words. "I didn't say we had to tell him."

Flurry smiled broadly this time, but it faltered. "How? And what will we do about the Company?"

He released her arm, gesturing quickly at the computer. "We have to let him finish it, if this is going to work. That will take time enough for us to think of something." He looked up suddenly. "The Company won't hear of this until it's done."

Flurry shook her head sharply. "That's not going to work. They'll want to know his progress. And Dr. Kreyin's always punctual with his reports." Sometimes it was one of his worst failings.

Tourian gazed at the screen, lost in thought. The Company would pounce on this one, just as they had his discovery of robots. But they couldn't market it until it was tested. That would break laws even the Company wasn't held above. He mentioned the same to Flurry.

"So? They have to see a test. Kreyin wouldn't let us -"

"You're missing the point, Flurry," Tourian said impatiently, temper rising.

"Are you saying we should steal it?" Flurry yelped. "We can't do that! Not any more than kill those greedy sons of -"

Tourian had turned quietly away from the computer, stalking out the door. Flurry blinked at him, uncertain, before following with a cry of, "Was it something I said? What's wrong, Tourian?"

He rounded on her, shouting furiously. "What's wrong! What kind of stupid, idiotic, moronic question is that?"

Her jaw dropped. "I was just saying! We can help him. Without stealing his machine."

He settled silently against the wall, eyeing her with a steady, skeptical gaze. She met his eyes, jaw set with grim determination. He frowned. "Do tell."

Flurry took a deep breath, wringing her hands at a faint surge of worry. "We just have to convince Dr. Kreyin that we have to test the machine." She took a step back, waiting for what would come next.

"Are you nuts?" he exploded.

She fixed her mouth in a slight pout, getting no enjoyment out of being called an idiot. Her eyes shifted down to her boots as his tirade continued.

"One impossible suggestion after another - he'll never, never let us go. Not to save his own life. He wouldn't risk us during the Third Discovery! What makes you think he's changed? He'd lock us in stasis - have us destroyed - before he let us anywhere near that thing." He took a deep breath, as if to continued, but did not.

She looked up, startled, as he stopped. "Tourian?" Then her mouth twisted angrily at his unashamed glare. "I half expected you to blame me for the Third Discovery, the disaster, the other time machine. And you're saying you're already finished? You're losing your touch!" She would have continued, scorn deepening, if he hadn't raised a hand.

"It could work. How, I don't know. But we have time. Lots of it." He turned and slouched down the hallway, leaving her to howl mentally at his retreating back.

She spun on her heel and strode back into the office. A time machine. The real thing. Tourian didn't have any idea what she had planned. She could stop the whole mess. Stop it before it began. And no way was some know-it-all 'bot with half a brain circuit to keep him company going to stop her.

Her eyes wandered silently over the room. An empty cot in one corner. A pile of clothing in the next. The only habitable room in the building, even though Tremor had taken care of the rats. A chart pinned crookedly up on the wall, the dim door that led to a closet, and the computer, flickering oddly in the dimness.

She could stop the Third Discovery from being a disaster. She could get in contact with whoever had come up with those designs - whoever had left out that one, fatal design flaw. And she'd find out what it was. She could get Zephyr back.


	3. History

History's tale was unknown to them. But a greater disaster had preceded theirs by a good two hundred years. The history of a hero's unwitting sacrifice to defeat his enemy. Two heroes, to be exact, and a hundred others whose deaths marked the passing of an age.

Those heroes, X and Zero. A pair of robots who spent their lives fighting the threat of their own kind. And finally succeeded in turning that threat away, but at a greater cost than either had ever imagined.

A good day to die. Funny how all those movie heroes seemed to think that. Personally, no day was good enough to die, not for Zero.

He tossed X a cheeky grin, gunning his hoverbike to a higher speed. "Come on," he shouted, over the roar of acceleration. "We'll never catch 'em at the pace you're setting!"

X glanced over at him, disapproval warring with amusement across his face. X had always been a hero. Too much of a hero for Zero's liking.

"We aren't out here for your joyriding, you know!" X shouted back. "Doc Cain got his first lock on the Maverick base in months!"

"Yeah, yeah." Zero pushed the bike into a jump, letting the wind whip his long hair into his face and away again. "Do you think the others'll make it?"

"With the way you're going?" X asked mildly. "We'll be there a hours ahead of them."

"Works for me!" He shot the bike into a tight loop, circling easily around his friend. Dust kicked into the air, reminding him of the route they were taking. He slowed to match X's pace. "What do you think? I say if the Mavericks were really here, this wouldn't be forest and greenery." His friend's expression didn't change, but the reply was suitably solemn.

"We messed them up pretty bad last time. Maybe they haven't had time to wreck the place."

"I thought that was Vile's favorite pastime - I could be wrong." His tone suggested that it wasn't likely, and X laughed at him.

"Maybe Vile isn't there this time." He jumped the bike over a rock on the dirt path.

X grew grave as Zero retorted, "Yeah. Maybe Sigma is."

Catching his friend's mood, he pulled right next to him and slapped his shoulder. "Sorry. Maybe I'll shut up for a while."

X shook his head. "It's all right. I'm just worried."

Then Zero laughed. "Please! You - worried? Get serious, X!" He jumped the bike to one side, laughing again. "No - that's the problem. Lighten up, buddy. We'll be all right." His eyes glinted brightly with the thought of the impending battle. This time - there would be an end. Sigma, Vile, and every other Maverick - this time, they'd bite it for good.

With an ululating cry, he jumped his bike to the highest speed he had and jetted away, with X in close pursuit, roaring out a battle cry of his own.

They found the Mavericks some fifteen minutes later, and not at a fortress at all, but an old city, long abandoned by humans.

Zero braked sharply, swinging the back of his bike around to look at the area below him. X pulled up beside, jumping off to stand next to him. The ruined city stretched for two miles in either direction, not at all big, but the forest had taken the rest of it.

"I see a couple of functional labs down there," X remarked, and Zero swung off his bike to get a closer look.

"Right. There's plenty of space for them." He crouched down at the edge of the ridge, frowning quietly. "No shielding. In fact, I can't see much defense at all."

"Don't bet on it. They have something waiting. They always do."

Zero glanced over at him. He was brooding again. "Snap out of it, X! We don't have time for you to be depressed."

X grinned faintly, patting Zero's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not depressed. But I'm ready."

The crimson-armored Reploid looked at him questioningly. "Should we go in?"

"Before the others?" X looked doubtful. "Better to wait - the more chaos, the better chance we have."

"Of what? Winning?" Zero had a familiar, cocky grin on his face. "We always win."

X frowned at him incredulously. Zero's lack of fear - some might say recklessness - never ceased to amaze him. Death, it seemed, was only a minor annoyance to him. Which, he thought wryly, only made sense. Zero had died once before. Saving X's life. He shook the thought off, walking back over to the bikes.

"I'll radio in. We should have done that earlier."

"You crazy? If they have even the most primitive equipment over there -"

X waved his hand in a perfect imitation of Zero's dismissive mannerism. "With all the yelling you did on the way in, what does it matter?"

"They've reached the base, Dr. Cain!" announced a Hunter, and Cain swiveled his chair to face him. "They're asking when backup's coming." The second was spoken in a more sober tone.

Leaning heavily on his cane, the elderly scientist hobbled over to the screen. "X."

The robot nodded quickly. "I wanted to know when -"

Dr. Cain blinked as X was shoved rather rudely aside by his fellow Hunter, Zero. "He thinks we can't handle this one, Doc," the red Reploid said, shrugging helplessly. "I don't know where he gets it!"

"That's not - will you cool it, Zero?"

With a slight grimace, Zero moved out of the way. "I just want to know when they'll be getting here. That's all."

"Well," Cain answer, slow and measured, "You did get pretty far ahead of them. It's a larger group, you know."

"Yes," he said, with a touch of impatience. "But when are they coming?"

The scientist smiled in fond amusement. "You're on your own for the next six hours, X. Be careful. And Zero -"

X jumped aside before he could be pushed. "Yeah?" Zero asked eagerly.

"Try to stay alive this time."

Zero grimaced. "Not funny, Doc. I haven't died yet, have I?"

Cain shook his head. "Just be careful." And he broke the signal.

Upon returning to his chair, he ordered the Reploid seated at the controls to radio the reinforcements. "Tell them to hurry. I don't know if the two of them can hold out that long."

The Reploid blinked. He was somewhat new to the Hunters. "But they've handled worse than this before," he said slowly.

Cain frowned. "I know. I don't know that they can stay away from the battle long enough for the others to arrive, though."

The young Hunter turned back to the computer, clearly not understanding.

"In order to give the finishing blow, they'll need help. I just hope they can wait for it." I should have known better than to send them ahead. I should have. He settled into his chair to wait - and worry.

Zero paced uneasily in front of the bikes, and X gazed stonily down below the ridge. Four hours, and no sign of the others - none! The only sound in the entire woods was the sound of grass being flattened under Zero's boots. X looked up irritably.

"Will you stop that?"

"What!" Zero spun to face him, arms stiff and fists clenched. "I suppose you're enjoying this? A long wait, no fighting, the end in sight?" He stopped suddenly, as if realizing what he'd said.

X rose, concerned. "You don't want this to end? We're here to strike a finishing blow. His gaze fell to the ruined city. "It'll come soon enough." He felt foolish, lecturing his friend on patience. He wanted more than anything to go down there - to finish what should never have started. His own reckless impatience had been what had gotten Zero killed. And he refused to be responsible for that again.

He walked over to lean against one of the hoverbikes. Soon enough. Zero's eyes followed him, and the robot turned around, starting to pace again. X looked back over the road they'd taken, curious as to what direction the others would come from.

"Hey, X."

"What?"

"Get over here. There's something funny going on." Zero was crouched low to the ground, staring intently at an open space near the center of the ruins.

"Something funny. Very explanatory, Zero. What exactly -" He cut off sharply.

He stared uncertainly at the activity below, trying to puzzle out what was happening. His eyes narrowed. "They're breaking out fortifications. They know we're here."

"They what?" Zero's eyes flickered quickly to the area beneath the ridge. A sudden flurry of activity - several robots were dragging things out of buildings, some dragging things back in. All suggested defensive measures. He felt a low growl build in his throat. "We'd better go in there. We can't let them get the jump on us."

"They won't." X spoke softly, sharp gaze following the workings of the Mavericks with grim fury. "We're going in." We shouldn't have called in. Idiot. Idiot! X ground his teeth.

Zero was getting that look about him - the one that meant he was about to do something stupid.

"Don't move," X muttered. "Think a minute. Do they know we know?"

"Who cares! If we don't stop them now -"

"Shut up, Zero!" X barked. "It's a mess down there."

Some of the Mavericks had stopped, apparently arguing. X pointed to them, looking thoughtful. "They're the group we need to hit. The least organized. We can -" He stopped, jaw trembling in a sudden wash of rage. Vile - Vile! Walking out there like he was asking the time of day! He watched in silence as Vile smashed one of the Mavericks to the ground, roaring out an unintelligible curse. Zero hissed softly.

"That one's mine - mine!"

X caught his arm. "Not yet!"

Zero drew back. Slowly, and muttering softly, but he drew back.

"When he leaves. The weak fall first."

Vile stalked furiously back into one of the buildings. Zero's eyes followed his every move. "He's mine."

X shook his head as the last sense of Vile's presence faded. "We go now. On the bikes. You know the drill."

Zero's mouth curved in a feral grin, ready for anything. He set a quick, clipped pace back to the bikes, and X hurried after him. Neither of them was much of a team player, but they had worked together long enough to develop certain techniques - one of which they were about to use. Zero gunned the engine of his bike impatiently, and X leapt onto his.

"Ready?"

"Let's bust 'em."

With a roar of acceleration, the two hoverbikes sprang violently from the ridge, kicking dirt and sod wildly into the air. Halfway down the slope, Zero opened fire on the disorganized and panicking group, catching one full in the chest and knocking another to the ground, arm torn off. X set his jaw grimly, waiting a moment longer before raising his arm cannon to fire on a Maverick who seemed to respond more quickly than the others to an emergency - perhaps he had faced this before? It reeled back from his shot, but only for a moment before belting for the nearest building. X shot him again. Once more, and the doomed robot crashed to the ground in a shower of sparks.

Zero veered suddenly aside, dodging a whining boomerang of sonic energy, Overdrive Ostrich's weapon of choice. The implications flitted briefly through his mind. Whoever was in charge had resurrected Mavericks long dead - a sign that this was a fairly advanced, not to mention well-established base.

A good day to fight - to win. Never to die.

Zero sprang lithely off his bike, leaping straight up into the air to whip his saber out and slash a pair of Reploids neatly in half. His bike, he noted unconcernedly, was a smoking ruin after crashing into a Maverick and cutting a path through two more by exploding from the impact. The battle sang in his blood. He grinned, looking for more action.

X jumped his bike over a Maverick's head, firing a pair of shots from the vehicle's gun at another behind it. He skidded the bike sideways, clipping yet another Maverick, bird-like and vaguely familiar, who squealed unhappily as his legs were sliced into uselessness. A shot from the X-Buster ended his misery.

The hoverbike shuddered suddenly, and X jumped to the left, avoiding another shot from behind. The bike shuddered again, engine failing, and he muttered a curse, leaping off, but not before spinning the dying vehicle in its final attack, a move not unlike Zero's, if not as graceful.

He hit the ground and rolled, coming up to fire wildly at the now thinly scattered Mavericks - until he realized that they were gone.

Zero, looking thoughtful, kicked a smoldering chunk of metal out of his way and walked over to X, much like a stalking cat. His eyes flicked about quickly. "Where are the rest?"

X looked around silently. "Inside, I think. Unless they ... were the only ones." Which he seriously doubted, as, apparently, did Zero.

The robot in question shook his head unbelievingly. A slight breeze blew smoke from the scattered hulks of metal that were Reploid remains, and a charred scent began to fill the air.

"They couldn't be that stupid."

Oh, yes they could, X thought dryly, but he answered, "Whoever this is -"

"Vile," Zero muttered, but his eyes seemed to echo, "Sigma."

X blinked silently for a moment. "They've got a pretty good base," he said finally, sounding annoyed. "Maybe we should join them before they join us."

At his words, Zero perked up momentarily. Without so much as a word to X, he stalked toward the building Vile had disappeared into.

"Wait! Zero!"

He spun sharply, long hair whipping about with him. He was furious at being put in check again, and he nearly let X know, in no uncertain terms, how he felt. "What?" he asked acidly, instead.

"My point -"

"Besides the one on top of your head?"

"Shut up, will you?"

"Not likely, but as you were saying?"

"I think some sort of strategy is in order." X settled back to wait for what would come next.

"Oh, I like this," Zero snapped. "We've broken into bigger fortresses than this practically blindfolded, and now, out of the blue, he wants a strategy! Well, I'll give you -"

X held up a hand, which did little to quiet him, but got his attention. His eyes focused on X's face while continuing his tirade, and X was sure he heard every word he said. "Zero, we can't go into this one blind. If this is going to be the final blow, we need to know what we're doing."

"I already know what I'm doing!" He suddenly took on a patronizing tone. "I'm going to go in there, find Vile, and blow his ever-loving head off!" He finished his words yelling in X's face.

X glared at him stiffly, fists clenching and unclenching. "Listen, Zero," he said slowly. "I won't let you run off and get yourself killed at the first opportunity -"

"What are you talking about?" Zero interjected, "I'm not gonna get -"

"And furthermore - I outrank you."

Zero's jaw dropped. "You're pulling rank on me?"

X nodded, eyes flat. Zero's mouth worked incredulously for a moment, then he flopped suddenly - and violently - to the ground. He rested his head on his knees, throwing his arms around his legs, much like a five-year-old denied one of his wants. X rolled his eyes.

"Zero, you have to understand - we need to work together on this one. If we don't, whoever's in there will get away again. I can't afford to have that happen."

His friend glared at him sourly. "All right. What should we do?"

X paused. "Actually, I hadn't gotten that far."

If there had been any conveniently placed trees to beat his head on, Zero would have walked over to one of them. "So, if you haven't got a plan - what should we do?"

Split up? No. That never worked. Eventually, one of them would run into something that would take both of them, and -

He noticed that Zero had risen from the ground and was tapping his foot wearily. "We go in together," he said finally. "Don't look at me like that! If we split up - well, remember what happened?"

He said the last in desperation, and Zero looked at him unkindly. If X hadn't known better, he would have guessed his friend was hurt by his words. Splitting up had been his idea - and at the time, it had been a good idea. But that was then.

"So where to?" Zero's voice held the faintest touch of acid, and X flinched inwardly, realizing that he'd toppled every one of his friend's suggestions. "That one?" He pointed to the building where Vile had gone, rolling his eyes as if he expected yet another negative response.

X paused consideringly. "I think -" he grinned at Zero "- the direct approach would work best for this one."

Zero perked up a bit. "All right. And once we're in?"

X couldn't help a flip response. "We wing it."

Zero lifted an eyebrow curiously. "I guess that's what we've always done before."

Without responding, X started walking toward the building, holding a charge in his X-Buster. Just in case. Zero followed him unquestioningly, almost absently igniting the saber he'd held in his hand ever since the battle. There was a slight swing to his walk, a battle-ready swagger he never seemed to notice and that X had never managed to adopt. X had always been the tense kind.

They approached the building, not seeming cautious, but watching everywhere for some sign of ambush. When they were within ten feet of the building, Zero stopped, and X turned to see what he was doing. He had planted his feet firmly, gazing up to the top of the decaying structure.

"X," he said slowly, then his eyes went wide. "MOVE!" He leaped forward, flinging his lightsaber, still ignited, at the entrance.

X barely felt the impact as Zero slammed him to the ground and rolled, pitching his body at the entryway, just next to the saber. He rolled to his feet and caught his breath sharply, staring at the crater in the ground where he had been a split second before. Zero was crouched just beside it, glaring. X didn't quite see what he was glaring at, but he was certain that he was included in the expression. Zero looked up suddenly, scrambling hurriedly toward him, and X heard the thunderclap of the beam striking the ground.

Suddenly Zero was standing next to him, stooping to snatch his lightsaber and turn the beam off. His face was still a mask of fury.

"I should have known," he muttered. "But it's still lousy security." He walked down the hall without waiting even to see if X was still in one piece.

X walked quickly after him, determined not to be separated, not even by his friend's bad temper.

They stalked on down the hall, a wide, brightly lit place. The floor was metallic, shimmering indistinct reflections up at them and making a muted clanging as they walked. The ceiling was rotting out in several places - no. X stared briefly. It looked much as if acid had eaten its way through the metal that made up the ceiling, dripping in pools that scarred the floor. The walls were pitted and dented, as if scuffles, shots, and ages of wear were finally getting to them. They looked as if they had survived forever. Zero had picked up his pace, glaring ahead as if expecting something to leap out at him any second. Come to think of it ...

"Zero, there's nothing here."

Zero didn't turn, but his eyes flicked back at X for a moment. "They have to be here somewhere. Where are you hiding, Vile?" His fist clenched. "I'm coming for you." And this time you won't get away.

X shook his head. "In every other hole they dug for themselves, they had swarms of guards. There's nothing - nothing - here."

"Where is he?" Zero demanded softly of no one in particular.

"There's more than one story to this place," X remarked, thinking aloud. "We're bound to find a lift somewhere." He took the lead, moving off down the hall. Zero said nothing, but X knew he trailed close behind.

They met no one on the long walk to what would be their final battle. They stopped for nothing, occasionally pausing at a small sound, but moving on quickly. They lost all sense of time and direction, hoping madly that the others would arrive safely. Eventually, after walking down several halls and riding more than a few lifts, they reached - utter darkness.

Zero ignited his saber reflexively, casting an eerie light down the long, empty hall. X blinked down the hall as far as he could, briefly looking into Zero's face. His fellow Reploid's jaw was set, ready, impatient.

"They're down there. Something's down there."

X was startled by Zero's sudden speech. "They've been waiting." He smiled suddenly. "Of course, they were always waiting before." The day they aren't expecting us is the day we lose. He blinked, shaking the thought away.

Zero had already started off, holding his saber in front of him. He watched every shadow, every reflection of the light, bounding off the walls in silvery splashes of color. X slunk after him, muttering softly about sticking together and what could happen if they didn't. They reached the end of the long hallway in due time, and found themselves staring up a long shaft, stretching impossibly high. Zero spat a curse.

"Sigma."

X nodded soberly. The long passage up was always Sigma's final defense against intruders, often crawling with enemies or booby-trapped in one way or another. He frowned thoughtfully, then nodded again. "Up we go, I guess," he shrugged and sprang straight into the air, catching himself against the wall, and making his way slowly, steadily upwards. Zero mirrored his motions exactly, and they approached the inner lair.

X gritted his teeth and hauled himself up over the edge of the passage, Zero springing lightly out on the opposite side. They cast their eyes quickly around the chamber, and X burst into helpless laughter.

"What's so funny?" Zero demanded sharply.

Grinning almost maniacally, he pointed to the far end of the chamber - at a one-man warp capsule, designed to take him directly to - well, wherever Sigma wanted him to go. He laughed again. Zero glared at him as if he'd gone insane.

"I'll go in first," he said when he stopped laughing.

Zero grimaced, putting his hand briefly to his forehead. "All right. I'm right behind you."

X darted lightly to the warp, looking it over thoroughly before placing his hand above the transport pad. "There've been a few through here - just recently, too. Be on your toes." His wide smile tensed momentarily, and he stepped aboard, disappearing with a murmur of energy from the transporter.

Zero waited for the last traces of X's form to vanish before hopping on himself with sigh. He had never trusted the things, and now he could only hope it took him to the same place it took X. The empty chamber faded before his eyes, which he closed, and when he rematerialized, his ears were greeted by the sound of a howl of agony.

His eyes snapped open immediately, and he dove off the platform just as fireball of plasma ripped apart the air where he had been moments before. Coming to his feet, he saw X, backed arched in pain as a stasis field built slowly around him. Zero snarled in rage, whipping his saber out to block a follow-up shot from Vile.

"Let him go, Vile." His voice dipped to a deep growl. "Don't you believe in a fair fight?"

The purple Reploid uttered a ghastly chuckle. "Sure I do. But I don't believe in letting losers win." Zero could sense a mocking grin behind the robot's helmet.

He got to his feet slowly, weaving uneasily from foot to foot. Vile raised his arm cannon, pointing it at X, who was still trapped in the field of energy that kept him neatly locked off from the outside. It mirrored their first encounter too much to be coincidence. By this time, X was slumped to the floor, sprawled like a rag doll.

Zero suddenly charged forward, smashing Vile backwards and knocking him to the ground. He was on his feet again in an instant and aiming his cannon at Zero, who then pitched himself as close to X as he could make it. The shot cut a groove in the floor, slicing the furrow neatly over to the wall. Zero scooped X up as best as he could, the shield sending razors of pain into his hands and arms. He stumbled hurriedly to the portal, slinging X over one shoulder and warding Vile off with his saber in the other hand.

Vile growled softly. "I don't think so." He rushed at Zero, who had no chance of moving out of the way fast enough.

X skidded across the floor of the dimly lit room, landing in shadows where only the glow of the stasis field betrayed his presence. Zero himself was smashed into the wall by Vile's full weight, then tossed aside. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks, body aching. Vile was walking over to deliver yet another blow, when the ringing of a communications screen drew his attention.

"What are you doing, Vile?" demanded an unpleasant voice. "This is no time to play around."

Zero raised his head, eyes slightly glazed, trying to focus on the brightly lit screen at the far end of the room. "Sigma." He slumped a little, then lifted himself painfully to his feet.

Vile had turned to the screen, glowering. "I wasn't playing, Sigma. I was getting rid of a minor annoyance."

"I don't want him gotten rid of, Vile," Sigma replied darkly. "He will face his destiny - as will the other."

X stirred in the dark corner, struggling violently against the stasis field. Zero stumbled over to him, swearing softly as he tried to find the chip that controlled the field's power. Given a little time -

"Vile. You must learn to keep an eye on your prisoners."

Vile darted a glance over at Zero, muttering softly. "Why not just transport him now? I can deal with his friend."

Zero's hand snapped neatly over the chip, crushing it between finger and thumb. X got to his feet, swaying a little. Zero slapped his shoulder, quietly igniting his saber, watching Vile and Sigma talk. X built up a charge, ready to sling it at Vile for all he was worth.

"Mine," Zero hissed. X nodded.

"By killing him, I suppose," Sigma replied to Vile, smiling unpleasantly. "That just won't do, will it?"

Vile stiffened, furious. "Of course not. But a little sparring match might be fun." He kept his voice coolly under control, mentally sizing up how much he'd have to pay for disobeying.

Zero growled softly, but X put a hand on his arm, and he settled back.

"Very well."

The two looked up silently, gazing at the face, familiar and hated, on the screen. Sigma glanced briefly over at them, seeming to think them harmless. X knew better. Sigma was one of the most observant Mavericks he had ever met. Perhaps why he was the leader, and Vile was only second in command. If that.

"I'll take" Sigma's eyes shifted to X. "that one." The face on the screen back up a bit, showing the Maverick from the waist up. He crooked a finger, grinning wickedly - and with a certain satisfaction.

Zero yelped as X vanished - a faint swirl of energy, and he was gone. "Where'd you take him?" he shouted. "Bring him back - or can't you take both of us?"

Sigma looked highly amused. "Oh, you'll get your chance at me soon enough. Be patient."

Then the screen blacked out. With a roar, he ran at the screen, saber held high.

"Please. Breaking the console will not bring him back." Vile stood with his arms crossed. Zero came to a complete halt, spinning to face him. "But you always were the impulsive type, weren't you?"

"I'm gonna kill you."

To Zero's utter rage and astonishment, Vile burst out laughing. The sandpaper sound rasped in his ears, not stopping for some time. When it did, Vile only stood there. Zero knew he was grinning.

"Why don't we go somewhere more - private?" The purple Reploid took on an easy slouch.

"Sorry," Zero snapped acidly. "You're not my type."

"Don't worry - I think we'll get along just fine." Vile snapped his fingers, and the room faded before Zero's eyes.

X opened his eyes and stared into - emptiness. A cold, dark place surrounded him, undoubtedly intended to set a mood. He took a careful step forward, looking around as best as he could. Very dark. He couldn't see a thing. He felt the air move somewhere behind him, tendrils of chill wisping around him. He spun about violently and saw - nothing. Still nothing, utter black. His eyes grew dark with anger.

"Where are you, Sigma?" he asked softly of the darkness, which made no reply.

Another long minute passed by.

"I hope," remarked a disembodied voice, "that you weren't too badly damaged. Vile tends to be - overzealous - sometimes."

X spun twice, in two different directions, trying to locate the source of the sound. He ground his teeth, furious. "Where are you?"

A low chuckle. "You've rather a one-track mind, X. But no matter."

Lights flared up before X, lining the edges of the ceiling and the corners of the walls. Pale and harsh, they painted everything a hard grey, as if the world was cast in the same, pale, metallic color. X's eyes flickered up to Sigma.

The robot was standing comfortably about ten feet away, smiling the bitter smile that never touched any part of his face besides his mouth. "Are you ready to join us? Hmm?"

"After all this time," X remarked, laughing, "you still have the nerve to ask that?"

The smile tightened, but Sigma gave an easy shrug. "I had to ask. After all, no sense in killing you before giving you the chance to redeem yourself."

You didn't give me that chance last time, X thought wryly, readying himself for the fight.

"Can we get on with this?" he asked mildly. "I've got a deadline to meet."

"Of course." Sigma tensed, ready to leap at him, but stopped. "Ah - one more" he shrugged "minor note. Your reinforcements are here."

X felt momentarily queasy. He had no chance to reply before Sigma continued.

"You did have an encounter with our guns, did you not?"

The queasy feeling grew. X nodded dumbly.

"So did they. And they weren't as lucky. They didn't have a friend to shove them out of the way." He burst into helpless laughter. "Do you want to see them, X? I have a viewscreen on them as we speak."

Without waiting for an answer, he flipped a switch that X couldn't see, and a viewer brightened into life. X felt ill. Five full transports - huge, walking tanks - all the robots Maverick Hunter HQ had on the roster. All dead. Five charred hulks burned balefully, and the bodies of Hunters lay strewn among the bodies of the Mavericks. Wind blew the smoke away.

X stared silently, fist clenching suddenly. "You killed them."

Sigma looked surprised. "Of course I did. You destroyed the only soldiers at my command. I thought I'd return the favor."

"You killed them." His voice took on a dangerous tone. "Every one of them."

"Perhaps you aren't as intelligent as I thought, having so much trouble with this little concept." Sigma leaped forward, stooping down and pulling X up until their faces were only inches away. "This isn't half what I can do, X. I could destroy you in the blink of an eye. No trouble." He straightened, dropping X with careless ease. "But I wanted to give you a fighting chance."

X was crouched on the ground where Sigma had dropped him, drawing deep, sobbing breaths. He rose, head bowed, chest heaving with uncontained rage. "I'm sick of you, Sigma. This time, I - will - kill - YOU!" With that final word, he released the energy charge he'd held since arriving - straight at Sigma.

The shot captured Sigma's face in a blast of light; a touch of horrified surprise lit his expression, quickly masked by the blaze of white. X lost sight of his target - firing in a blind rage at the same general area. When he finally stopped, Sigma was crouched on the floor, armor rent in several places. But not dead. He lifted his head, the bitter smile starting again, and rose, flexing his hands convulsively.

"Is that all?" he sneered. "I don't see much point in going on like this." With a feral snarl, he sprang, whipping out his own personal lightsaber - a throwback from their first encounter.

X dove away, rolling off his shoulder as he struck the ground. As he rose, Sigma charged at him again, and he smiled. This would end it. Finally.

Zero spun furiously, smacking Vile's shot back at him with his lightsaber. Vile dodged it easily, springing forward at Zero. Not a word had passed between them since transport, but the battle had been fast and fierce. Zero stepped lightly aside, swinging his saber around to clip Vile's shoulder. Vile sprang back with a growl of surprised pain, but he recovered quickly.

Zero scrambled wildly out of the way as he tried to catch hold of him.

"I'm not here for hand-to-hand combat, Vile," he panted, standing across the room from the Maverick. "I'm not here for your games."

Liquid oozed down Vile's shoulder, dripping on the floor. His head was bowed, but he lifted it, and the sense of a grin came again from the masked figure. "No game," he hissed softly. "This time I'm going to kill you. For good. You always were an idiot, Zero."

Zero shrugged, absently running a systems check. He was mostly in one piece, but his armor was charred and rent, his hair singed, and his mood deadly. Vile was in little better shape; the wound to the shoulder was the worst he'd taken, but he stood still, not attacking, not defending.

"I suppose you're not going to explain that."

Vile shook his head, but the grin was gone. "Sigma always wanted you to face your destiny. He's not much better than you that way."

Zero cocked his head wearily. "Destiny. Don't make me puke, Vile." He had settled that issue for himself some time earlier. "I've never liked the thought of surrendering to destiny. Too much like quitting."

Vile's laugh rasped heavily, echoing through the room, empty of anything but the two of them. "I hate you. I'm going to kill you."

"The feeling's entirely mutual."

But neither made a move toward the other.

The room was empty of sound for some time.

"Sigma wanted you alive - he wanted to show you personally what you could be." Vile lifted his head, gazing steadily at his enemy. "I want you dead. I know better than to try to convince" he spat the word like a curse "you to join us."

Zero looked at him dully. He was tired. End this. But he kept on listening, hurt and anger building with each word.

"He'll have to be killed, I said. He'll have to be rebuilt to serve us." Vile laughed again, throwing his head back, exulting in his bitterness, his hate. "He didn't listen. He never does." Vile paused, nodding in Zero's direction. "He always wanted you on his side. Never mind loyalties. He was sure he could convince you before - well, you know what's gonna happen, don't you?"

Zero stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"'Course not!" Vile laughed again, apparently enjoying himself. "I really hate you, you know," he remarked conversationally. "More than I can possibly tell you." He heaved a great sigh. "You always did deny the obvious. You've got a great resistance to reality."

"Get on with it, will you? I don't have all day." The words came through gritted teeth, a jaw set with grim weariness and determination.

"You don't even have the next five minutes!" Vile exploded suddenly. "Your buddies from Hunter HQ are toast. Blackened. Busted. X is in there getting pulverized by Sigma - and you're with me. Not a healthy situation for you. But, as I was saying, I'm not worried. You'll join us eventually. Willing or - well, you know, don't you?"

Zero sprang into the air with an unearthly howl before either really knew what was going on. His saber flared, brightening the room. It arced down to Vile's neck, slicing through armor and circuitry like paper, and Vile's head rolled to the ground a few paces away. Zero was rocked backward, instinctively clutching at the huge rip in his side, Vile's final gift to him. The echoes of Vile's last shot rippled through the room.

The purple Reploid's remains shuddered convulsively once or twice before an explosion ripped them apart, the fireball reaching out far enough to take the helmeted head with it. Zero rolled away from the eruption of heat and flame, gasping at the pain. He had never thought he could hurt this bad and still be alive.

He got to his feet and gazed numbly at the scattered wreckage of Vile's body. "I got you first, didn't I?" But I didn't win. Not quite. He staggered away, feeling a warm flow of the robot equivalent of blood over his hand.

His eyes grew flinty. "Well, Vile, how did you get me to this dump? And how do I get out?" He stepped slowly, stubbornly to where he knew a console must be.

X held back a mutter of pain, barely dodging Sigma's shot. The battle had been no worse than he had anticipated, but he was losing. No, not losing, but Sigma had him on the defensive. He took a moment to fire back, and Sigma dodged his shot as nimbly as he had every other.

He had X at bay. He knew it. He laughed helplessly. "Well, I don't suppose you'll give up. It's not your way."

Sensing an opportunity, however slim, X faced his enemy defiantly. "Never was. In case you hadn't noticed."

"Of course." Sigma sensed the same opportunity, and he decided to go along with it. "Now, do you want me to finish you off quickly or slowly? It really doesn't matter what you choose, but I thought I might give you the option."

X grinned wanly. "You're real pathetic, Sigma. It doesn't matter which I choose, because neither option is going to be available to me." He took a relaxed pose, smiling coolly.

Sigma chuckled. "You think so? Really? After all I've shown you. The deaths of your friends, your weakness against my strength. And you still think you're going to win." He shook his head.

"You always did like to gloat." He paused. "And brag," he added as an afterthought.

"Not really."

With no warning at all, pain ricocheted through X. His mouth opened, as if to scream, but no sound came out. Then the pain was gone. Sigma gazed at him sadly.

"Action, there's the thing. You never knew what hit you."

The pain started again, tearing through X bit by bit, working its way through his entire body. When it released him, he sank to the floor, breath coming in rasps that seemed to tear him apart.

"I'll bet you'd like to know how I did that."

"No." The word was a tearing sound, uttered in a kind of desperation. One more jolt would kill him. He knew it.

"Then you never will know what hit you."

"And neither will you," said a soft voice from behind Sigma.

An arm cannon shot ripped through the air, slamming Sigma in the back and knocking him forward. X staggered to his feet, staring at Zero, who slumped against the wall, hand shielding a gaping wound in his side. Sigma turned slowly.

He seemed confused to see Zero there, leaning against the wall, grinning in a sardonically satisfied way.

"You're dead, Sigma," Zero remarked, and X raised his cannon, firing a shot that tore the air, a whining roar that filled the ears.

Sigma fell forward, body rebounding momentarily off the floor before falling - and exploding with a brilliant fireball that blinded the others. X was thrown back, too close to the explosion, and Zero slumped slowly to the floor, head hanging against his chest.

"Too easy," he said, barely audible. "He'll be back."

X got to his feet, staggering over to his friend. "No." He sank to the floor beside him. "There's no computer for him to break into. Not this time. He's dead."

Zero's head lifted slightly. "So are we. But -" He winced. "At least - we - finished it."

X grinned faintly, a sad thought entering his mind. There aren't enough of us left to infect, anyway. The last ones - back at HQ. His last stand - and ours. He knew it. "Yeah. We finished it," he replied softly. He slumped to the floor. "Think you can make it out?"

"Nope."

X nodded as the floor shook beneath them. "I don't suppose so. Not this time."

The chain reaction had begun. The final fortress of the X Hunters was crumbling, falling apart, self-destructing. Level by level, metal and glass blew neatly apart, shattering the air.

X and Zero were still, listening. And content. Their job was finished - hopefully. But it was too late to worry about that.

The final explosion ripped apart the world. Trees were cinders for three miles around, and not much was left of the old city. Not much was left of anything.

And the world went on.


	4. A Minor Change

Tourian slumped uneasily against the wall outside the cubicle. Dr. Kreyin was in there, working on God only knew what. It had been a week since he had revealed his machine to the two of them, a week since he notified the Company that all was proceeding as scheduled, a week since he and Flurry had been tossed out of the lab.

"It's too dangerous for you to know about," Kreyin had said firmly. "I won't put you two in danger. Never." And he had closed the door.

His only appearance since had been to scramble for his pickup to get more supplies. Flurry left food at the door for him, unhappy and sulking at his seclusion.

Tremor prowled up and down the hall, rumbling furiously at being kicked out of his warm bed of clothing and his proper place as a cat - and head of the household. Ayrmin whined hopefully at the door, and Jackdaw perched on his head, uttering rude cries. Flurry was seated somewhat farther down the hall, close to the door. Her arms were folded across her chest, expression dejected.

Tourian yawned, not sleepy, but yawning was another of those human mannerisms he'd been programmed with. "Flurry, how long do you think it'll take him to build that thing?"

Flurry started, turning to stare at him with deep unhappiness. "He could be done anytime." She frowned, flipping a bit of concrete across the floor. "We've got to get on that stupid machine."

Tourian shrugged. "What good will it do us if we don't know where to go?" He grimaced. "When to go, I guess."

"We can figure that out," Flurry muttered. She rose slowly, facing Tourian and leaning heavily against the wall. "You downloaded all those files, didn't you?"

Tourian blinked. "All what files?"

She tapped her foot impatiently. "The ones Dr. Kreyin found - the Third Discovery."

Tourian shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like the files, and he found himself wishing he'd deleted them years ago. "I don't know, Flurry. I don't think -"

"You bet you don't," she snapped, jumping over and taking him by the arm. She jerked him down until they were face to face, no easy task, considering her size. "Listen, Tourian, I need those dates. We have the chance to solve all our -"

The door swung violently open, admitting a weary-looking and slightly disheveled scientist into their midst. Ayrmin jumped up, swiping his tongue at Kreyin's hand in a traditional dog's way. Jackdaw fluttered for a moment, trying to regain his balance, and Tremor promptly bolted for his sleeping place. Flurry released Tourian, who jerked upward so fast he stumbled against the wall.

"Need to get some supplies," Kreyin announced sleepily. "Tremor - let's go."

"No!" Flurry said sharply. "You need rest. The machine won't get done any faster if you fall asleep on the job."

Kreyin looked up, expression suddenly testy. "Flurry, I've told you not to mother me."

She took on a stubborn look, suddenly stepping forward. "Listen to me for once. Go to bed. The computer, the schematics, the supplies - they'll all be there in the morning."

The scientist could only stare at her for a moment. "All right, Flurry. I'll go to bed." He looked up at her, as stubborn an expression as she'd ever seen on his face. "But you wake me on time tomorrow, understood?"

She smiled sweetly, all innocence, and nodded quickly. "Of course, Dr. Kreyin. Now go to bed, and we'll see you in the morning."

She walked over, taking his arm in hers and leading him to his cot. Once he was settled in there, she hurried outside again. Snapping her fingers at Tourian, she stepped down the hall at a clipped pace.

"It'll take some time for him to go to sleep," she remarked. "Now tell me the dates on those files, Tourian."

He shook his head. "I - all right. They're about two hundred years back, maybe more. But some of the information in the files is older. The original design, for instance. That dates back about half a century before all the rest."

"Get to the point. Don't worry about the original. We'll have to set the time gauge for around that time." Flurry was still for a moment, lost in thought. "Once he's asleep, we can -"

Tourian stared at her. "We can what?"

She glared right back at him. "You idiot. He's obviously got a time in mind. All we have to do is change it."

Tourian turned away. "I don't know - I don't think this is such a hot idea."

"Don't chicken out on me now - it was your idea in the first place."

He winced. "I know, I know." He paused, silent for a long moment. "I know what time to set. I'll do it. Once he's asleep."

On impulse, Flurry flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Tourian. I knew I could count on you."

To be suckered into your little scheme, naturally. "You owe me big for this," he informed her, disentangling himself. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"It was your idea."

He nodded. "Take Jackdaw on patrol, Flurry. I'll take care of this."

She rose quickly, whistling to Jackdaw, who fluttered irritably for a moment before winging his way to her shoulder. That done, she dashed off down the hall, hair flying wildly out behind her. Tourian stared after her worriedly, and Ayrmin lifted his head to whine softly. Tourian walked over to scratch his ears.

"What do you think, boy?" he asked. "I don't know. It's for the greater good, but only if it works." He sank to the floor next to the door. "I wish it didn't have to be done this way."

Ayrmin woofed softly, giving his tail a faint wag. The dog promptly turned his head away and shut down for a while. Tourian leaned his head back against the door. He took his helmet off absently and looked at it, musing. I wonder where my design came from, anyway. Would a robot made for peace-time be armored? Who am I? He gave a bitter chuckle. Who was I?

Gradually, he became aware of a faint whistling noise from beyond the door. Dr. Kreyin had fallen asleep, deep asleep, judging from the sound of it. He rose noiselessly, resting his hand on the doorknob. He gave a faint smile as he entered.

Kreyin lay sleeping on his cot, clumsily covered by his lab coat. Tourian frowned. Flurry was usually more careful about that. Tremor was crouched on the floor, glaring malevolently at him. Tourian crooked his finger, and the cat rose curiously, sniffing at the air to sense his intent. Tourian went down to his knees, and the cat trotted over to him. Without a moment's warning, he snatch Tremor around the middle and hurled the cat at the door. He shut the door behind the animal, smiling faintly. What a look on that cat's face! He turned to see if Kreyin had stirred, but the man still slept, murmuring unconsciously. Tourian nodded slightly, walking over to the computer.

The screen was still brightly lit, casting a faint haze of light over the room. He paused, tapping thoughtfully on the console. For some reason, the man had left all his files open. Tourian could access them as easily as -

He stopped, frowning. He scrolled down the screen, taking in the information faster than it could come up on the screen. He stopped again. The dates lay before him, sometime in the twenty-second century, as far as he could place it. They were set, just as he needed them. His mouth twitched faintly. Flurry would die when she heard this. He scrolled the screen back up to where it had been and hurried from the room. Morning would tell how it turned out.

Janus Kreyin opened his eyes, blinking the grimy feeling of sleep away. He stumbled out of the bed, stretching wearily. Flurry had been right. He had needed sleep. She was rarely wrong about those things, but he also rarely listened to her. She reminded him a great deal of his daughter. Of course, he had built her with that in mind. To help take some of that pain away. Only, it hadn't worked that way. His pain had doubled - every time he saw her, he saw his daughter. Her every action - her every mannerism - was like his child.

He shook his head sadly. A foolish old man and his foolish ideas.

He glanced up at his computer. Well, back to work on that particular one.

The schematics of his time machine glared back at him balefully, cold and calculated, regardless of risk. He almost had the framework built - in the small warehouse that connected to this room through his closet. Neither Flurry nor Tourian knew anything about it. They simply saw no reason for his closet to connect to anything.

Kreyin frowned. What had he been about to do last night? He nodded suddenly. Supplies, of course - and she hadn't woken him up!

He pushed the door open violently, shouting for Flurry. He saw her jump and spin around to face him.

"Get over here, Flurry," he said sharply.

Wincing, she hurried up to him. Tourian had been talking with her, and he gazed at them curiously from down the hall.

"You didn't wake me up, Flurry."

She gaped at him. "You had another hour of sleep, Dr. Kreyin!"

He blinked at her for a moment, then fumbled in his coat for his watch. She was right. The timepiece read five-thirty, on the dot. He shook his head. "I apologize, Flurry," he said absently. "Let me get Tremor, and I'll go get those supplies.

Flurry had cocked her head at him, looking a little unhappily into his face. He smiled and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll be all right. I can handle the people at the hardware store."

She gave him a tiny smile for a response. "We want to help, Dr. Kreyin. Can't we do anything?"

He shook his head sharply. "No!" he snapped, a little more sharply than he intended. "It's too dangerous for you, both of you. We've been through this before. I will not back down on this one."

She nodded and turned slowly away, snapping her fingers at Tremor, who was seated, looking disgruntled, at the far end of the hall. The cat glowered at him for a moment before trotting up to join him. He turned quickly, locking the door behind him. With Tremor trailing behind him, he hurried down the hall, bidding Tourian a brief "good morning" and fingering the keys to his truck.

Tourian watched the door slam behind the scientist, and Ayrmin made a small muttering sound at the noise. Flurry slouched against the door to the lab, anger painting her face.

"If that's the way it's gonna be," he heard her say to herself, "that's the way it's gonna be."

Tourian couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. Maybe she had given up on that fool idea of hers. Then he saw the expression that flickered briefly over her face. Well, at least she won't try to break the door down. But as she turned about to stalk outside, he began to doubt even his assumptions about that.


	5. A Breakthrough

"Tourian!"

The explosion of sound, a combination of the door slamming open and a man's voice projecting loudly down the hall, startled Tourian badly enough that he jumped into the wall. Rebounding off, he stood there, shaking his head dazedly, until Kreyin yelled again.

"Tourian!"

"I - I'm coming, Doc!"

Flurry snickered at his confusion as he scrambled to answer the summons. Kreyin stood in the doorway of his cubicle, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Is there something you needed?" Tourian asked, hoping that the man needed help with his blessed machine, which was in its second month of construction. Kreyin had barely said two words to him and Flurry in all that time, except to -

"Here." The scientist thrust something into his arms. "Could you take care of that, please?"

Tourian looked down, sighing. "Sure, Doc."

Except to take out the garbage. Flurry doubled over laughing, and Dr. Kreyin nodded in a satisfied way, shutting the door again. Tourian glowered at his counterpart, who, seeing his expression, merely laughed harder.

"Garbage - duty!" she gasped between guffaws. "He's given you - garbage duty?"

"Oh, shut up," he snapped, stalking past her to take the trash to a dumpster outside. Ayrmin, sitting at the door, yapped at him, suddenly jumping up excitedly and trying to knock him down. "Quit it, Ayrmin!" The dog looked at him uncomprehendingly, even though Tourian knew he understood.

He uttered a howl out of simple spite, leaping at him again - this time successfully throwing him to the floor. Flurry fell to the floor in tears of mirth. Tourian shoved the dog off of him, restraining the urge to swear as he picked up the spilled trash. He glared momentarily at Flurry.

"If you could pick yourself up long enough to help?" he said flatly.

She got to her feet, grinning gleefully, and walked over to put the scattered papers, remains of food, and - whatever else there was - off the floor. To his surprise, she had a deeply contented smile on her face when she stood up.

"What's with you?" he asked her, taking the trashcan up.

She looked startled. "I haven't had a good laugh in - a couple of months, wouldn't you say?" She shrugged. "I guess I feel a little better now."

He shook his head wonderingly. "Sometimes you amaze me, Flurry. Maybe I should spill the garbage more often."

She snickered. "I don't think that will be necessary." She patted his arm. "Thank you, Tourian."

He stared after her as she walked back to her post near the cubicle door. Muttering under his breath, he took the trash out to the dumpster.

Flurry was humming softly on the way back to the cubicle door. She didn't know the song, but she assumed it had been one of Anna's favorites. Anna was Dr. Kreyin's daughter - who had died long before he had found the old city. Long before the Third Discovery.

And in that way, she was lucky.

Flurry sat cross-legged on the floor, clicking her tongue at Tremor, who flicked his tail rudely. He was crouched in the doorway - in the perfect position to get slammed aside into the wall if it opened suddenly - and he was glaring sullenly at the doorknob. Giving an unhappy gurgle, he rose to his feet, stretching in that way that cats have - Tremor was one of the best programmed animals, if nothing else because he was the last, and Kreyin had more experience by then.

Flurry watched him thoughtfully. Every move - he was just like a cat. Of course, Ayrmin was just like a dog, and Jackdaw was a bird-of-prey - but . . . Flurry frowned. What about her? What about Tourian? And the others. Zephyr, Jackal, Ridian. She shook her head. How much were they like - what they were supposed to be like? Who am I? Am I Flurry - or Anna?

Tremor yowled at her expressively, arching his back against the door.

"Sorry, Tremor. I can't let you in."

He mumbled something that sounded offended, and she smiled.

"You know better, Tremor. He only lets you in when he sleeps."

Tremor hissed, and her eyes widened.

"That's awful language, coming out of you."

The cat did not reply, stalking down the hall to slap his paws at Jackdaw, who promptly engaged the cat in a mock-battle. Flurry watched them tussle absently, lost in thought. Tourian opened the door down the hall, letting a faint breeze wind its way in. Ayrmin danced at his heels, not yapping, but excited.

"What's with you, mutt?" he demanded in annoyance. "He knocked me down again once we were outside," he called to Flurry, and she smiled faintly in response.

He walked down the hall and sat down next to her. Ayrmin followed him, settling his head on Tourian's knee and wagging his tail. Tremor and Jackdaw had scattered when the door opened, but now Tremor slapped at Jackdaw's head again. Before it got any farther, Flurry ordered them to go outside. They sulked a bit, but they were out just as fast as anything.

Tourian grinned cheerfully. "I suppose he hasn't said anything to you?"

She shook her head. "Except about how dangerous it is? No."

He sighed. "He will. He has to."

Flurry glared at the door. "He's been at this for two months! When does the company want this done?"

Tourian shrugged dejectedly. "He's in a hurry - obviously - but I have no idea."

"A hurry! He's locked himself away with that idiotic - contraption" she spat the word "without a word to anyone else, and -" she stopped. "I'm worried sick."

Tourian nodded in agreement. "If I know him - which I may or may not," he said wryly, "he'll come out and need our help eventually."

But another month passed without that happening. And another. The routine - food three times a day, garbage every week, no laundry unless Flurry threw fits - lasted for three months after their conversation, and even Tourian could find no encouraging words - for anybody. Ayrmin slumped at the door that led outside, Jackdaw perched wherever he felt was good, the floor mostly, and even Tremor was locked out of the lab - much to his annoyance.

Tourian, for lack of anything better to do, began keeping track of days. Noting the days that Kreyin was particularly perturbed when he received the garbage - or when Flurry told him to eat. Flurry began looking thoughtfully at the carpet and the walls, musing on how to make the place a bit more pleasant - since the hall was about all they got to see anymore.

Until the door opened slowly on the sixth month of Dr. Kreyin's seclusion.

Tourian was ticking the days off to Flurry on his fingers, and Flurry was scuffing the toe of her boot against the worn carpet. They both looked up, startled, at the man, their creator, who stood, weary and worn, in the doorway to his lab, cubicle, and home.

Flurry felt a pang at how he'd changed. He'd grown thin, pale, and he trembled weakly, leaning against the door frame. His hair was streaked with new gray, and his clothes were rumpled and dirty. Tourian gazed quietly at the lines of his face, deeper and harsher than they had been, and at his hands, clenching and unclenching unconsciously.

"Tourian and Flurry," the man said softly. "You're as much my children as Anna ever was." He paused, wringing his hands anxiously. "I didn't want you involved. I wanted to - to keep you safe. Away from this - this mess."

Flurry blinked back tears that she couldn't shed, not now, and Tourian frowned unhappily.

"We wanted to help, Doc," he said, almost more quietly than Kreyin. "We've been real worried about you."

The scientist nodded impatiently. "I know - but you weren't to be involved. I couldn't have it. But -"

Flurry glanced up at him sharply, and Tourian look at her uncertainly.

"The Company wants this thing done in two months - and I can't do it by myself." He said the last words heavily, deeply pained. "I need your help. I'm barely on schedule as it is, and they're threatening to bump the deadline up by a month."

"We'll help." Flurry smiled wanly, almost bitterly. How could I say no? You've won your battle, Flurry, but how much did it cost?

Tourian nodded immediately. "Absolutely. What do you need done?"

Kreyin's face at darkened a bit at their quick agreement, as much in anger at himself as anything else. "Come with me. I've got to show you the hangar. I've got a lot of it done already."

He turned and shambled back into the cubicle, and the two robots followed him. Flurry hung close to the scientist, worry etching her face, and Tourian stayed a little behind them, wondering what on earth could be dangerous enough to keep them out of the lab, and -

"What hangar?"

Kreyin gave a momentary smile, making his way over to the closet. "I wasn't sure I managed to keep it from you, Tourian," he remarked. "But I suppose I did after all."

He shoved the closet door open, and both robots stopped a moment to stare.

"That's - huge!" Flurry managed finally, and Dr. Kreyin smiled proudly.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?"

Tourian didn't say a word. Of course, it made sense, now that he thought about it. Where, in that tiny cubicle, was Kreyin going to fit that machine, anyway? The huge hangar, which could have been a warehouse at another time, looked like just another building from the outside, but -

"Tourian, come on," Flurry murmured, and he followed her into the hangar.

Kreyin was already in - marching steadily to what looked like a cross between a shuttle from Star Trek's Enterprise and a sporty race car. Tourian blinked.

"That's it, Doc?" he asked skeptically. "That's your time machine?"

Flurry jabbed him in the ribs. "Does it work?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I don't know yet - it isn't even finished. It'll have to be tested. The Company's already working up an advertising gimmick for it - but they aren't publicizing until it's safe." He sounded amused by that - even a little surprised. "I still have a lot of work to do - mostly internal. There're some components that need to be installed - it's delicate work. I'll need steadier hands than mine to do it." A flicker of pain crossed his face. "I'll tell you what needs to be set what way and all - I'm sure you can handle it." He shrugged lightly. "I'll keep close watch on the Company - have to keep them happy, you know."

Flurry was nodding complacently, but she suddenly spoke. "You'll go to bed first," she informed him, and he stared at her.

"I - I suppose so. If you insist, Flurry."

Tourian frowned at her. The middle of morning - and he was to sleep? She glared at him sharply before he could speak. She jabbed a finger at the machine while Kreyin wasn't watching. He rolled his eyes and nodded his head wearily. Flurry took Dr. Kreyin by the arm and walked him firmly back toward the cubicle. He jerked his arm away, glaring at her.

"Don't mother me, Flurry! I'm not an old man!"

She raised her arms as if in defeat. "All right, all right." She bent quickly and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Dr. Kreyin."

He smiled gently and walked the rest of the way, taking on a slight slump of the shoulders. Flurry watched him worriedly.

"He's right, you know," Tourian remarked to her as she made her way back. "He can take care of himself - mostly."

"Shut up, Tourian," she said, almost absently.

He grimaced. "That must be the nicest thing you've said to me in - three months."

"What?" She stared up at him for a moment, confused. "What did I say?"

He snorted. "You told me to shut up instead of shut down."

She ignored him. "Let's take a look at that thing," she muttered distastefully.

"He said he still had a lot of internal work to do, Flurry." He followed her over to the machine, where she knelt and inspected. "There's probably not much to - hello. . ." He suddenly wandered over to the other side, looking for something he thought he'd seen.

"What is it, Tourian?" Flurry came up behind him, trying to peer over his shoulder with little success. "Get out of the way, will you?"

"Sure, shorty." He shifted over just in time to avoid a swift kick in the rear. "Temper, temper, Flurry." He paused, poking his head into the unfinished time machine. "What a mess!"

Various electronics devices, components, wires of every size under the sun - all lay randomly scattered about. They were piled on the seats - or what would be the seats - toward the front and on a pair of shelf-like areas that Tourian supposed would be beds. From his swift look at the schematics, he supposed that the machine itself would be the residence of whatever travelers it took. It appeared to have a huge-ish storage area, under the beds and above them - both places were stuffed with still more wires and other unrecognizable pieces of equipment.

"Not exactly cushy," Flurry remarked thoughtfully. "But that doesn't really matter to us, does it?"

Tourian glanced at her, faintly amused at her confidence. "He's letting us help, Flurry. That's a far cry from letting us test drive the thing."

She shrugged. "Don't bother me."

Tourian resumed his search for - "Hey! There it is!"

Flurry stared at him blankly as he clambered up into the time machine, fishing around in a disorganized pile of what appeared to be rubbish. His eager hands soon produced a clock-like device, and he jumped lightly outside again.

"This has to be the most important part of the stupid thing, and he buried it underneath a pile of burnt-out wiring."

Flurry grumbled for a moment. "I wouldn't say that, Tourian. What good's arriving at the proper time if you don't survive the trip?"

He frowned. "Well, one of the most important, then." He turned it over in his hands almost reverently. "This is going to get us to -" He laughed. "I'm starting to sound like you, Flurry." He felt like the cat that landed up to his ears in cream.

Flurry plucked the device lightly out of his hands. She studied it consideringly. "He hasn't set it yet. I wonder if it can travel forward - not just back."

"Probably. I don't think it's such a great idea, though."

She shook her head, laughing at him. "Time travel isn't such a great idea, Tourian - but look at us. We're planning to change the past - change the present." She handed the device back to him. "If that isn't stupid, I don't know what is."

He grinned ruefully. "You're right." His face took on a sadder cast. "We can still go back on it, you know. It's not too late until we throw the switch."

She nodded, then shook her head firmly. "It's too late for me. I know what I have to do." She stiffened just a touch. "And I'll do it alone, if I have to."

Tourian shook his head violently. "No - I'm with you. Take it easy." His gaze was a touch worried. He began to study the timepiece in his hands.

She shrugged off her former mood, looking up at him. "Where do you think we should get started on this thing?" she asked curiously, running an eye over the mess inside the machine.

Tourian glanced up, startled from his intent study of the timepiece. He grimaced in annoyance. "That's part of why I wanted him awake. I don't have a clue where to start." He looked around the interior. "He's made such a mess of it. . ."

Flurry poked him in the ribs. "He hasn't either. He's got it organized in his own way."

"Which is why we needed him awake!"

Flurry sighed patiently. "Let him sleep, Tourian." She walked away from the machine, folding her arms as if cold. She looked back at him uncertainly. "We'll have to get this done soon."

Tourian nodded. "But I guess it'll wait until later," he said lamely.

Dr. Kreyin woke at about three that afternoon. He joined Tourian and Flurry, who were seated inside the machine, puzzling over his organization of the parts.

"Where should we start, Doc?" Tourian asked quickly, rising to his feet. He barely missed hitting his head on the ceiling.

Flurry rose beside him, just as quickly, and safely short of the ceiling. She smiled. "Tourian's being a little blunt today." Her mouth quirked with amusement. "I am too. Where do we start?"

Kreyin chuckled gently. "Let me in - I'll show you what to do."

Tourian shifted back, carefully avoiding a pile of cables. Kreyin stepped inside with practiced ease, walking over to where Flurry had just been sitting. "This, my dear," he said, "is part of the engine."

Flurry blinked at a formless-seeming chunk of metal lying on one of the seats. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, frowning. "Okay. What do I do with it?"

He laughed. "You don't do anything with it. Tourian's going to help me assemble the engine. You're to work on the chronometer."

Tourian looked startled, and Flurry smiled faintly. She tossed the engine part to Tourian, who glowered at it. Flurry turned and picked up the timepiece, pushing it on Dr. Kreyin. The scientist took it from her, gesturing for her to follow him to the unfinished dashboard.

"Here. I printed the schematics out." Kreyin handed her a bundle of papers. "They should be relatively self-explanatory - if you have troubles, just call us. We'll be out front."

Tourian glanced up from his furious study of the engine part. "Huh?"

Kreyin jumped lightly out of the machine again. "Get the parts off that chair - now, Tourian! And come with me."

The robot snatched them up hurriedly, ignoring Flurry's derisive giggle.

Once he was out the door, however, she uttered a small sigh. "Self-explanatory, he says. Self-explanatory." She drew the papers up to her face, puzzling out the intricacies and complications of Kreyin's plan. As she worked she began to nod slowly, comprehension dawning on her face. When she started to work, a genuine grin was showing - it was going to be easy.

Tourian followed Kreyin around to the front, muttering softly as he kept the precarious balance of engine components, wires, and mental stability going. When he caught up with the scientist, he found the man seated on the ground. He peeked cautiously over the pile of - stuff he carried, and Kreyin waved impatiently.

"Set it down, Tourian."

He did.

"Now, let me see. . . . Where's that - ah!" The man immediately began puttering around with his tools and the components.

Tourian watched him quietly, crouched down beside him.

"Okay, Tourian. Since you're watching so closely, what" he paused, slapping a final touch on his work "did I just do?" He tossed the piece to Tourian.

Tourian looked at it uncertainly. "Well, as far as I can tell, you just inserted tab A into slot B." He grinned at Kreyin, who glared impatiently.

"Tourian," he said warningly.

"Okay, okay." Without further funny business, Tourian explained rather blandly what the scientist had done.

"Very good, Tourian," Kreyin cried, clapping his hands mockingly. "Now -" He took the piece lightly away and disassembled it. "You do it."

Tourian gave him a funny look and repeated the process, almost taking it apart again, until Kreyin stopped him. The man nodded slowly.

"All right, Tourian. Let's get to work."

The hours passed like minutes, and the days passed like hours. A silence hung heavy over the hangar. But not a silence of sorrow or any bitter emotion, but of work - and joy in that work. In general, Kreyin handed Flurry schematics, and she did her work without a word. He worked directly with Tourian, however, for reasons neither of the robots could explain. They sat at night and talked about it, and they could come to no real conclusion.

Flurry thought it might have to do with Anna. As far as she knew, the scientist had worked closely with his daughter on all of his early projects - she had been as intelligent as he, with a great deal of potential. Tourian thought that the most logical explanation - even Kreyin didn't seem to know where his design really came from, so he seemed to need the assurance of teaching to trust him. Not that Tourian minded.

The weeks passed like days, and the months - well, they sped by at regrettable speed, but at the end of two, the machine was done.

Flurry smiled at it fondly, running her hands along the smoothly finished sides. Tourian watched her, smiling drowsily. Kreyin was inside, finishing something out.

"Tourian - get in here!"

Flurry giggled as Tourian scrambled to comply. "Yeah, Doc?"

"I need to show you how to set the buffers."

Flurry paused momentarily, frowning in thought. She already knew how to set the buffers. They were set kind of low, right now. She tilted her head to listen to the conversation.

"We need to set them a little higher - humans couldn't survive the stress like this."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"What do I do?" Kreyin mocked him. "Just watch."

There was a pause.

"Oh."

"Now, you do it."

"Oh, for -"

"Do it!"

"Yessir."

Flurry chuckled. Kreyin had a way about him when he got impatient.

"Flurry, could you come in here please?"

"Coming, Dr. Kreyin." A smiled still played across her lips as she entered the time machine, now sleek and classy - oh, it was gorgeous.

Kreyin beckoned to her from the front, and Tourian wore a sour expression, arms folded in disgust. Flurry breezed past him, and Kreyin gestured absently to a seat, which she took. Quite comfortable, she noted. She crossed her ankles delicately, and Tourian rolled his eyes heavenward.

"For crying out loud, Flurry," he growled, clearly not loud enough for Kreyin to hear, "you don't have to rub it in."

"Flurry - there's something we all - need to discuss."

Tourian's ears pricked immediately. Flurry lifted an eyebrow. That was a foreboding tone of voice. Kreyin paced slowly past the two of them, and Flurry turned her chair to watch him.

"This - machine. It will either make me - or break me. I -" He paused, rubbing his hand across his forehead. "If this thing doesn't work, they -"

Flurry frowned impatiently. "It has something to do with their last message, right?"

He looked up sharply, forehead creasing, and nodded. The last message had come a week ago. Kreyin had taken it privately, at the Company's request, and he had come out half an hour later, looking as if someone had snatched his entire reason for existence away. Flurry had pestered him for two hours straight, but he hadn't told her a thing.

"They said that - if this doesn't work - I'm finished."

Tourian spoke up flatly. "Finished - as in, dead . . . am I right?"

Kreyin looked sick for a moment. "They said - in any case, if this doesn't work, I'll be blacklisted from any job I could ever have - I'll have never existed. Something along those lines."

Flurry snarled softly.

"But - let's not dwell on that, okay?" Kreyin looked up, smiling at them both. "There's one last thing we have to do to this machine to have it done - completely. Final form and all."

Tourian and Flurry looked at each other, curious. "But we already -" Tourian started to protest.

Kreyin wagged a finger at him and went outside. Shaking their heads, the robots followed. Once outside, the scientist spread his arms wide, as if to encompass the whole hangar.

"Now, every vessel ever made has had - a name, hasn't it?"

Flurry felt a smile start, but she crushed it promptly, keeping her face deadly serious. Tourian's face was skeptical, but he listened.

"There's going to be a line of these." Kreyin hesitated, but went on, shaking his head. "And they have to have a pretty good name if they're going to sell." He smiled at them, folding his arms across his chest. "Think of something."

Tourian stared unbelievingly. Then he gestured to Flurry. "She's the creative one, Doc." Flurry blinked at him. "Let her think of it. Leave me out of it. I'd probably come up with something lame anyway."

Flurry tilted her head uncertainly. Her gaze shifted to the machine, and her eyes closed. A faint smile, and they opened again. Kreyin was gazing at her expectantly. Tourian was leaning lazily against the machine.

"Zephyr," she murmured softly. She didn't need to say anything more.

Kreyin smiled, nodding firmly. Tourian grinned at her. "What did I tell you?"

Flurry smiled, suddenly very tired. "We'd better go check on the animals," she said softly.

Tourian grunted. "I'll let them in."

"Heh?" Kreyin said sharply. "Let them in? Boy - just where did you get the idea!"

"All right! I won't. Sheesh." Tourian threw up his arms in annoyance and stalked furiously toward the door.

Kreyin laughed at him silently, and Flurry shook her head. Such a temper. She turned to the scientist. "When are they coming?"

He looked at her questioningly. "A week. They'll be here next Tuesday."

"We'll have to clean this place up."

"Yes."

"I'll make sure Tourian keeps the animals out of the way."

"Yes."

"I hope everything works."

"Yes."

Flurry looked at him. "Go to bed."

"Yes - no!"

She shrugged. "It was worth a try." And she headed for the door.

Kreyin followed her, shaking his head with amusement. "What would I do without you, Flurry?"

"You'd probably have a nervous breakdown."

"Hah! I think I can run my life perfectly well without you."

"Care to place a wager?"

"Heh - if I had any money."

"What time is it?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's past two in the morning. Go to bed."

Kreyin made a face at her as she walked into the cubicle.

"I saw that," she informed him, and he shrugged.

"G'night!" Tourian called from the hall, and Tremor bounded in the door.

Flurry scratched the cat's ears and went to join Tourian, and Kreyin settled himself down to sleep. A week. A week of rest before they came. A week of rest before - well, judgement day for him. God only knew what for Tourian and Flurry. He heard the pair of them laughing about something in the hall before drifting off to sleep.


	6. The Unveiling

Tourian was pacing aimlessly up and down the hall outside the cubicle, waiting for Dr. Kreyin to wake up. Flurry watched him for a few moments. Then she stuck her foot out in his path. He stopped to glare at her just before taking the step that would have sent him sprawling.

"I suppose you've got a good reason for that," he said acidly.

"Not at all," she replied smartly, flipping her hair back over her shoulder.

He sighed and resumed pacing.

"Wearing a hole in the carpet is not going to get him up any sooner, Tourian."

"So?"

She shook her head, looking up at the ceiling over her head. "Then go do it somewhere else. It's annoying." She leveled a glare at him, but his back was turned, and he didn't see. "Are you listening, boltbrain?"

"What did you call me?" he said sharply.

"Hmmph. Guess you weren't."

"Flurry - you really aren't helping," he muttered wearily.

"I never claimed to be, did I?" she snapped, clenching her fist around a handful of hair. Startled, she released it and threw it back over her shoulder. "Never mind. I'll just go somewhere else." She started off toward the door.

"No - Flurry, come back. I'm sorry."

He sounded genuinely contrite, and she turned, eyes skeptical.

"I'm just a little tense," he offered apologetically. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"He's going to say no," Flurry said flatly. "If that's what you're worried about."

He shook his head. "That's what's funny. I'm not worried about that." He looked up. "The Company - coming here. I used to think this was the safest place in the world, the best fortress anywhere! And now we're - I don't know. It's like opening your gates to ravening wolves - after you've built the gates to keep them out."

Flurry shuddered quietly. "Beautiful analogy, Tourian." But he's right. They'll tear us apart. "I suppose they're going to bring men to test the thing," she mused, turning her thoughts to something else.

"Yeah - I imagine so. They wouldn't let us within twenty feet of it if they had a choice. They'd rather have us melted down, actually."

He gestured down the hall, and they headed for the door. Ayrmin grunted and walked after them, dislodging Jackdaw, who had been asleep, perched between his shoulders. The bird spoke rather rudely, flapping his wings to punctuate his point. Ayrmin snapped his jaws playfully, wagging his tail madly. The bird finally gave up, fluttering to the floor. The dog half jumped, half ran down the hall to join Tourian and Flurry.

Once they were out the door, Tourian spoke again. "We'll have to act quick. Without hurting those techs."

Flurry's gaze shifted to the east, where the sky had begun to pale. "They'll be here soon. Two hours more."

Tourian grinned mirthlessly. "We are gonna be in so much trouble."

"Is that all you can think about?" Flurry yelled at him, smacking him in the back of the head.

He winced, fending her off and darting a few feet away. "No," he informed her from that distance, "but I do consider that a major problem. I mean, what if they get to us before we get to the Zephyr?"

She tapped her foot on the ground. "They won't." I'll make sure of that. "And besides, the Company's not even going to exist when we get back."

"If this works."

If, Flurry thought angrily. If, if, if. Too many of those running around. "Listen - keep talking like that and - well, maybe it won't work!"

Tourian seemed to ignore her remark completely. "I think I know how we can do this."

Flurry rolled her eyes. "We already know how to do this! Or do you have a better idea?" She added the last out of pure spite, but he only smiled and gave a courtly bow. She glared, several unpleasant terms for him coming to mind.

"Just hear me out," he said coolly. "I think you'll like this one."

"This is the most hare-brained idea you've come up with yet," Flurry muttered softly as they hurried indoors. An hour had passed, and Kreyin was due for a wake-up call.

"Well - think of something else that'll work. And keep in line with the laws."

"I swear, Tourian," she snarled, rapping on the door, "I think he got your brain patterns from a lawyer."

He spread his arms helplessly. "Well?"

She ignored him, tapping again on the door. "Dr. Kreyin? Are you awake?" At the lack of response, she shouted. "Tremor! Get him!"

"I'm up! Flurry!"

"Tremor, you can stop." She was smiling faintly as a disheveled and furious Janus Kreyin swung the door open fiercely, and Tremor sauntered lazily out into the hall.

"Flurry, I don't think that was called for." His tone of voice was calm, collected, even kind, but his eyes were snapping sparks.

Tourian shook his head in amazement. She seemed to have a sixth sense about when the scientist was simply ignoring her morning summons. She, of course, did not reply to his jab, only answering with the time.

"What! Why didn't you -" He spun around, wringing his hands anxiously. "There's so much I need to do - the presentation isn't ready yet! I - I -"

She smiled at him. "There's plenty of time, Dr. Kreyin. Just get into some clean clothes, eat some breakfast. Everything will turn out just fine."

He seemed a bit dazed when she took his arm and sat him down in the chair in front of his computer. "Are you sure, Flurry?" He tapped a couple of keys on the keyboard, pulling up the Zephyr's schematics. "I don't know if - this is such a good idea."

Flurry felt a slight chill. "If - what is such a good idea?"

"This machine. Can you imagine! They're planning to mass-market a device that could change the world as we know it - literally. What if some looney went back in time and - killed someone like George Washington? Or - or Navrik Johnston? I don't know. . . ."

Flurry slumped suddenly. She seemed to have lost all her steam at once - finally realizing what she was doing, what the Company was doing. Tourian caught her arm, shaking his head sharply at her. Kreyin didn't notice, getting to his feet.

"I'll go get some food," he said absently.

The minute he was out the door, Tourian, released Flurry's arm, and she sank to her hands and knees, body suddenly wracked with sobs. He knelt down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She shuddered miserably.

"What am I doing? What - why?" She sat back, leaning against the wall. Tourian didn't say a thing; he only listened. "I'm afraid - of what I can do! I'm afraid of what might happen! I'm afraid! Afraid!"

Tourian nodded uneasily. "We don't have to - you know that."

"Yes we do," she said almost absently, "I do. You know that."

Tourian got up slowly. "Yeah." He glanced out the door. Jackdaw was scratching boredly at the carpet, and Ayrmin was whining worriedly at him. Tremor had gone with Kreyin. "You'd better cool down before he gets back."

She nodded, suddenly regaining her usual, unruffled mood. "We'd better get ready for them." Her eyes grew momentarily distant. "I hope those techs are as gullible as you think they're going to be."

He shrugged easily. "If they've been trained the way the Company usually does them - they'll think we're as mindless as their computers."

Flurry sniffed, drawing herself up haughtily. "Hmmphf. I don't know whether to be insulted - or grateful."

"Be grateful," Tourian grunted, glancing around the doorframe at Dr. Kreyin, who was returning from the food bin. "It'll save us trouble in the long run."

"Tourian!" Kreyin called. "I'll need you and Flurry to shine up the Zephyr. She needs to look her best for the execs."

Flurry started, looking at Tourian worriedly. The execs? They only come if something major is at stake! She tugged sharply on his arm, and they both retreated to the hangar.

Once the door was shut behind them, Flurry pulled Tourian down until they were face to face, gripping him in a stranglehold. Growling, he tried to loosen her grip, and she let go of him.

"The execs! Flurry, they'll grind us up like cat chow!" He rubbed at his throat, moaning. "We're dead."

"We can work around the execs." Flurry was already hard at work on thinking of how. "They probably think the same way as their employees - why would they train them that way?"

Tourian shook his head sharply. "I remember the top exec. She was there at the Third Discovery. She knows everything. Her partner, on the other hand . . . I don't know if he ever swallowed the whole thing. He was there, but he's the kind - well, you know."

Flurry nodded quickly, beginning to pace. "I'm sure Dr. Kreyin's got her convinced that we're harmless, though. Otherwise, we'd already be scrap - right?"

Tourian shrugged doubtfully. "She's not stupid, Flurry."

Flurry snarled suddenly. "I won't let her stop us, Tourian. We go ahead with this, understand?"

"Hey - hey. Relax," Tourian said soothingly. "I never said we couldn't go ahead with it. We just have to be careful. That's all." I'm worried about you, Flurry. Don't let this take over your life. Please. Do me that one favor.

She walked slowly away, as if she didn't quite believe him. "Let's get to work."

Kreyin paced uneasily before his computer, waiting for the delegation to arrive. Diane Holcomb and Ray Lawrence alone were enough to scare him into a bolt-hole, but they were bringing along three others - whose names he did not know, plus the techs who were to test the Zephyr. He was nervous about that. If anyone should test the thing, it should be him - but no, they needed him alive. To crucify, if the machine didn't work. To really kill him, instead of just telling the media he was dead. It had to work. He wondered idly what Tourian and Flurry were up to. They had clearly hatched some plot - they, of course, thought he didn't know. He turned to the computer screen, staring balefully at the schematics. Whatever it was - he hoped it worked.

Flurry looked up sharply from where she was crouched by the Zephyr, watching Ayrmin dance and bark at the door to the hangar. Tourian came around the edge of the machine, wiping his hands on the cloth he'd been using on the Zephyr. He suddenly paled.

"They're here," he said softly. "Ayrmin - get Tremor and Jackdaw and bring them here."

Flurry turned to him, startled. "Dr. Kreyin won't like that. He never lets the animals in here."

"He won't like what we're about to do, either, will he?" Tourian kept his eyes on the door where Ayrmin had darted away. "We'll need those three - to help us hunt, to help us fight."

Flurry nodded in agreement. "I see your point, but isn't it just a teensy, little bit obvious?" she asked acidly.

"Do we have time to argue?" Tourian snapped.

She rolled her eyes. "No."

"Flurry, Tourian!" Dr. Kreyin called them from inside the cubicle.

"Coming, Doc!" Tourian answered, nudging Flurry and tossing the cloth aside.

They walked into the cubicle, and stood on either side of the scientist, facing the top execs at the Company in a stance that made them look uncomfortably like fighters, ready for action. The woman in front smiled, just pleasantly enough to keep it from looking like a sneer.

Diane Holcomb was a handsome woman, even pretty, but years of her work had made her into something resembling a walking, talking lump of ice and stone. Everything she did was part of a grand scheme to tighten her already iron grip on the world and make herself even more rich that she already was. Her husband, jointly in control of the Company, was Ray Lawrence, a somewhat weedy-looking man, and his equation wasn't quite so grand as hers. He wanted power, naturally, but he was more interested in the money. She had him well under her thumb, though, and he caused her little trouble. The three of their lower executives looked on, smiling inwardly at the money that this little catch would bring. The techs were nervous. Terrified. Practically wetting their pants.

Flurry smiled easily back - as genuine and sweet a smile as anyone ever saw - and Tourian nodded politely. If he tried to smile, he knew, he'd end up biting someone. Ayrmin suddenly wagged into the room, Jackdaw perched on his shoulders. Tremor followed close behind, switching his tail back and forth. No one seemed to notice, but Tourian flicked his hand back at the hangar, and the animals crept past the tense little group.

It was Kreyin who finally broke the heavy silence. "You've come to see the machine."

Diane suddenly turned her cool, calculating gaze on him. "Of course, Doctor Kreyin."

Tourian restrained a grimace. She pronounced every syllable carefully, as if afraid of forgetting one - without seeming to. Flurry frowned slightly. An unusual person, if ever she'd seen one. Definitely intelligent. She'll be dangerous.

"Perhaps," Kreyin said calmly, not betraying a shred of the nervousness he had to be feeling, "you'd like to look at the schematics first?"

She turned her eyes toward the computer, mouth twitching as if in thought. Her smile never wavered. "Certainly, Doctor. Show me what you've done."

Kreyin gestured quickly to the computer, and she walked over to it gracefully. Flurry barely kept from glaring - the woman was out to make them feel like clods! Tourian tapped her arm, giving his head the barest shake. It was then that she realized she'd tensed her body to attack. Kreyin hurried over to explain the workings to her, but she waved him easily away.

"I see them, and I understand them," the woman said sharply, but her smile never once faltered. "Let's go see the wonder of technology you've created for us."

The humans passed by the robots, Ray Lawrence even going so far as to shove Tourian out of his way. Flurry frowned after them, and they both followed easily. The animals were settled on the far side of the machine, Tourian knew, where no one could see them. They were to get in the storage compartment when the techs got in. The rest was up to him and Flurry. Diane Holcomb was inspecting the machine from a distance, as if afraid it might jump up and bite her - or transport her and her little crew to the end of time.

"You do," she said slowly, "understand that we'll have to test it."

Kreyin nodded a bit more hurriedly than he really needed to. He glanced around quickly, and he noticed Tourian and Flurry introducing themselves to the techs. His stomach lurched at the same time as his heart sank. They couldn't possibly . . .

"Get to it, gentlemen," she said firmly to the techs, who blinked at her for a moment before starting toward the machine.

Flurry and Tourian stood politely next to them, one for each. Kreyin was beginning to feel sick. Holcomb was staring at them, asking him a question.

"Yes," he responded, having know idea what she said. "Of course they are."

"Hmm," she said quietly. "You've reprogrammed them, then. I always thought they were better cut out for serving than for research or things like that."

He gazed after them, barely hearing her. They can't be - surely they wouldn't! They were on the far side of Zephyr now; he had no idea what they were doing. He was vaguely aware of Lawrence slapping his shoulder and informing him that there was a great deal of money in this for him - if it worked. If not, well, he really couldn't say. Holcomb snapped at him to shut up, and he did, backing up like a dog who'd been slapped.

All heads turned suddenly.

Zephyr was humming softly. Lawrence muttered something about using the quiet ride in the advertising, and Holcomb snapped that it wasn't a car, you idiot. Lawrence cringed, almost whimpering. The other three execs were watching the machine. A slight vibration started at one end, working its way slowly to the other side of the ship. And suddenly - it was gone. A brilliant flash of light, followed by a faint sensation of empty blackness, and nothing stood where Zephyr had been moments before.

Then Holcomb yelled something unintelligible. Lawrence's jaw suddenly dropped, and the three execs paled, one on the verge of fainting.

Kreyin uttered a howl of grief.

On the floor, sprawled as if in sleep, lay the two techs.


	7. The Journey - Such as it Was

Tourian slumped slightly in his seat, staring at the controls of the Zephyr. He looked at Flurry, who was pointedly ignoring him. The nerve pinch they'd used on the techs had been painless - they would wake up thinking they'd had a good, long rest. Ayrmin whined softly from the back, and Jackdaw said something rude. Tremor wasn't speaking to anyone. Flurry was frowning faintly, looking over the instruments.

For the past two minutes, there had been no sensation of movement - as if nothing was happening at all. But the gauges indicated otherwise. Maybe those buffers hadn't been so necessary, after all. She saw Tourian open his mouth to say something - then she saw nothing at all.

Tourian threw his head back violently. It took a moment for him to realize that he was screaming in agony. Part of his mind was amazed at the amount of pain that was flooding his processors. How could he possibly hurt this bad and still be alive? With more effort than he cared to admit to, he twitched his head far enough to see Flurry.

Her eyes were shut tight, hands clenched over the arms of her chair, and her mouth was open in a soundless howl. Or maybe not soundless. He couldn't hear a thing. The pain mounted, doubling in less time than it had taken to begin. Flurry's scream increased in intensity, as did his, he was sure - he could almost hear her now.

A rasping sob from his own chest was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness completely.


	8. Destination

A thin trail of dirt kicked up neatly behind each of the hoverbikes, reaching in vain for the slight breeze that followed in the vehicle's wake before settling reluctantly back down on the ground or on a bit of forest undergrowth. Each of the bikes was jaunting off in a different direction, making its way lazily in a broad circle through the woods and barely missing the other, as was the intended pattern of the search. The rider of the bike on the inner circle of the search kicked his into a jump over a log and almost decapitated himself on the branch of one of the long-standing trees of the forest. He was in a relatively good mood, actually. He got to check the inside of the search - section where what they were looking for was more likely to be. Reports of success were always fun - especially when X usually got to give them, and it was finally his turn.

Zero, for, naturally, that was the rider's name, shouted cheerfully at his friend, who answered with a mock-serious rebuke. Once the search pattern took them far enough away from each other, they would have to use the radios on the bikes, but as long as they could yell - what the heck!

He grinned, turning his attention to the search area. Plenty of weird gullies and ditches in this place, and he didn't want to wreck the bike. Doc Cain would not appreciate it. On a whim, he radioed X, who answered with his usual, pleasant rudeness.

"What do you want now? No, don't tell me. You thought you saw Vile in the shadows, and you wrecked your bike trying to get to him."

Zero's grin widened. "Sorry to disappoint you, X. I was just wondering what you thought about this sweet little situation. I mean - a distress signal that isn't a distress signal? Kinda messed up, if you ask me."

He heard a slight sigh from X's end of the connection. "I don't know. He says its some sort of automated signal - robotic, no less. I can't hear it."

Cain had picked up the distress call on the wide-band, on a computer that served only one purpose - to monitor radio, TV, and any other signals that bounced around in the atmosphere. This signal was faint, even on the wide-band, and when Cain had tried to narrow it to pinpoint, he'd lost it completely. Which was why X and Zero were riding hoverbikes around in circles.

"I can't, either." Zero glanced lazily around before turning his eyes ahead again. "Do you think it's the Mavericks?"

"Nah - they'd try to disguise the transmission. The only Maverick signals we've caught have been piggybacked on other signals."

Zero shrugged, even though the gesture could not be conveyed by radio. They hadn't bothered with video transmissions this trip - since they were riding, it wasn't really necessary. "Well, radio me if you find anything," X said to him, thinking that his silence meant the conversation had ended. X could be rude that way.

"Aww," Zero said dryly in reply. "I was gonna make it a surprise."

X gave a long-suffering sigh. "Just wait for Christmas to surprise me," he laughed suddenly. "I'll probably be surprised by this anyway."

Zero shook his head. "I'll call if anything turns up," he said quickly and switched off.

X switched his radio off after a moment, really not expecting a call until he was finished with his search pattern and well on his way back to Hunter HQ. He kept his sensors out to their highest sensitivity, musing absently on the beauty of the ancient forest, wondering at the same time how much longer it would take for Dr. Cain to upgrade the bikes to the point where he could talk to a friend without raising his voice over engine noise. Dozens of other thoughts rippled through his mind, naturally, but he was, in fact, decidedly bored.

Until the radio crackled.

"Hey, X!" Zero's voice came over, excitement and worry tinging his tense, quiet voice. "I think you'd better get over here."

He immediately swung the bike back where he'd come from, entering the coordinates Zero gave him into the navigator. A map scanned up and he headed in that direction with as much speed as was safe - considering that he really didn't want to slam into a tree.

\--

"So, what do you think?"

X gazed thoughtfully down at the small craft, not answering his friend's question. The vehicle? was rather pretty, clearly built for the showroom as much as anything else, and it had had a bit of a rough trip, as far as he could tell. It lay on its side, bay door swung wide open, and a limp figure lay slumped in the opening.

"Doesn't look like Maverick work. They'd have taken it all for scrap."

Zero snorted rudely. "Unless it is Mavericks."

X shook his head. "Give whatever it is a chance, Zero. You don't need to blast them before they can explain themselves." He looked down at the craft again. "I'll radio in."

Zero nodded absently, watching the limp form in the doorway of the machine. Its hands seemed to twitch. Weird. He blinked suddenly, but the sound did not repeat. He tuned his sensors in a little better, and he heard it again. A small woof.

"Oh, for godsakes - X! That's a dog!"

X looked up from the bike's video console. "Er - whatever you say, Zero." He turned back and started to speak. "Dr. Cain, we've found what appears to be the source of the signal -"

"It is," Zero was saying defensively. "I heard it bark."

"And," X overrode him, "we're checking it out now."

"Be careful, X," Cain told him firmly.

"Always am," X replied, grinning, and switched off. He turned to Zero. "What was that about a dog?"

"That critter lying in the doorway - it's a dog." Zero jabbed a thumb back over his shoulder, grinning lamely. "As far as I know, Mavericks don't keep pets."

"Then you think its safe to go down there?" X asked, glancing past him.

"Did I say that?"

"No." X shrugged. "You didn't need to."

Without further discussion, Zero started off down the slope. X followed him, ready to fire if necessary. They reached the bottom of the slope, raising a little dust that sank immediately for the lack of a breeze. X promptly circled to the far side of the vehicle, marveling inwardly at its design and wondering at its function. It had no apparent mode of transport - no wheels, no repulsors, nothing. Maybe it was some sort of shelter.

Zero walked the other side, approaching the canine head-on. It ought to be able to smell him - or something. Wait a minute. . . . if Doc didn't read any life-forms - Come to think of it, he didn't either, but there it was, even breathing.

"X," he hissed suddenly, and the other robot hurried around to him. "It's a robot - has to be."

X nodded suddenly. "That would make sense. No life readings, and all."

Zero jerked his head sharply. "Let's go in there."

"Right."

They walked right past the dog - it didn't move, deep in unconsciousness. Zero poked X in the arm, pointing to two other forms on the floor of what appeared to be a cargo area. A cat and a bird - both robotic. The cat's whiskers gave a slight twitch, and the bird's wings fluttered softly. They had to be robotic - their bodies were so badly contorted, they would never have survived had they been - "real." X moved on past them - staring at flickering panels and the two forms in the front two seats.

Once he saw them, he could only stare for the longest moment. "Zero - get up here."

"Yo." Zero joined him, asking, "what's the big - hey! He - that one - X, he looks like you!" He saw X nod slowly, still gazing at the robot in the pilot's seat. "What about the other?"

X shook his head, trying to clear the haze of astonishment and - well, he couldn't quite sort out the emotions that flitted through his mind. His eyes turned to the other.

"That's a - girl."

Zero nodded slowly. "No kidding," he said sarcastically. "Now - where'd they come from?"

"Cool down, Zero." X pushed past his friend, moving the female's face to where he could see it better. "I don't recognize her."

"Um, X -"

"I wonder who they are," he said absently, ignoring Zero's call for attention.

"X -"

"What?" he demanded crossly, straightening up.

"Eh-heh." Zero pointed slowly to the figure that stalked steadily, threateningly toward them. "We've got - company."

\--

Ayrmin had smelled the two strangers long before they had approached the Zephyr, but he had woken only moments before they had boarded the ship. And whoever they were, he wasn't about to let them hurt Tourian and Flurry. His lips curled back in a savage snarl. They had better not touch them - that one had better let Flurry go - that one had better not be threatening him.

They both turned to face him, both taking a slow step back. The one with long hair gave a slight laugh, barely audible - a threat? Better not be. The other glared at his companion sharply then spoke to him.

"Come on, boy," the one who'd had Flurry said reasonably. "We aren't going to hurt your friends."

They both reeked of self-confidence, the long-haired one more than the other, and both smelled a bit nervous. Ayrmin growled softly.

"Listen, mutt," the long-haired one snapped, suddenly annoyed, and the other clapped a hand firmly over his mouth. He glared daggers for a moment before settling down.

If Ayrmin had had any fur, it would have bristled violently. The growl increased in volume.

"I promise," said the one who could talk, tone soothing and calm, "we only want to help them. We can get them help."

The growl died. Ayrmin lifted his head, still glaring suspiciously. They both smelled genuine, as far as he could tell, even the long-haired one. He gave his tail the faintest wag and settled back on his haunches, watching them.

The long-haired one jerked his companion's hand away from his mouth, swearing softly at him, and the other smiled wanly. Nodding encouragingly, he took a step forward. The long-hair hung back.

"Careful, X," he said acidly. "If he tears your arm off, don't blame me."

"He won't. If you just keep your mouth shut," retorted the one called X.

The other leaned lazily against the copilot's seat, still glaring in annoyance. Ayrmin sat stiffly as X approached him, holding out his hand. The dog reared his head back with the faintest trace of a snarl, and the robot retreated, staying back a bit before trying to touch him again. This time, Ayrmin sniffed his hand. Then, lightning-quick, he had it in his jaws. X sat as still as he could, ignoring Zero's snort of laughter. Ayrmin's ears flipped backward and forward a couple of times before he decided that this one was not a danger. He released him.

X sank back, heaving a sigh of relief, and signaled to Zero that he was headed out to the bikes.

"Sure," Zero growled, "leave me stranded here. I don't mind."

"Just make friends with him," X snapped and darted out the bay doors.

Zero and Ayrmin glared at each other, neither prepared to do that quite yet.

\--

X ran out to the bikes as fast as he could - which was pretty fast, but still not fast enough for him. He hammered the buttons to turn on the radio, coding it as urgently as he could code it, and he received a response almost as quickly as he could blink.

"What is it, X? What's wrong?"

"Dr. Cain, we're gonna need a med transport down here - I'll send the coordinates. You won't believe what we've found!"

Relief flickered across the old scientist's face. "Then no one's hurt?"

"Only the robots in the transport. Oh - we'll need something to haul that, too. It doesn't seem to have any means of locomotion."

"Slow down, X," Cain said firmly. "What robots in what transport?"

X took a deep breath. "The source of that distress signal is a small transport." He gave the dimensions. "There are five robots. Two humanoid. The other three are animals. One of them is canine, and he seems to be okay. He's in there growling at Zero. The other animals are beat up pretty bad, and the humanoids are knocked out pretty hard."

Cain was already ordering two transports out to them by the time he'd finished. One medical, one to haul the machine. Nodding quickly, X signed off, heading back down into the small dell where the craft had landed to tell Zero that they were coming - or to rescue him from the fiercely protective dog.


	9. Awakening

Flurry woke slowly from what had been a rather traumatic period of rest. The first sign that she was stirring was a systems check, a quick diagnostic run. Everything checked out okay, as far as her processors could tell. She automatically ran a more thorough test on her major systems, and everything seemed fine there, as well. Only after that did she open her eyes.

She was not in the Zephyr.

She was lying on her back, restrained, in some sort of - lab? She really couldn't tell. How? Where's Tourian? Where am I? She tried to move her head and have a look around, but it was clamped as firmly as the rest of her. She gave no thought to struggling. Sensing the strength of the bonds, she knew it would be useless. Where am I?

"Dr. Cain," a voice called. "I think she's awake."

Her stomach - or the equivalent thereof - lurched violently. Where was she? Surely the Company hadn't caught them! She remembered starting the machine, taking off! They had to have made it! The machine had to have worked! Involuntarily, she strained against the bonds holding her down, panic mounting.

"Where am I?" she screamed suddenly, terrified.

"Yes," commented a different voice, "I'd say she's definitely awake."

"Who are you?" she demanded hoarsely, a little calmer.

"Well," commented the same voice, "depends on who you're asking."

"Zero, quit that," snapped the first voice that had spoken. "Listen, we're not going to hurt you. At least, that's what we told your dog, and he seems to believe us."

"Ayrmin's here?" she asked, voice softening a little, a bit of her fear gone.

"If that's his name." The voice had a soothing effect on her, and she relaxed a bit more.

"That's right, my dear," murmured a gentle, elderly-sounding voice at her elbow. "Calm down. As X said, we won't hurt you. Now, can you tell us who you are?"

"Can I sit up first?" she asked timidly.

"Why?" the one called Zero broke in sharply.

"Zero," the one called X growled. "Just be cool, will you?"

"Of course you can," said the voice she hadn't identified yet.

One either side of her the restraints loosened and released her, and she sat up slowly, feeling a hand, a human hand, supporting her as she lifted herself into a sitting position. She looked around cautiously. Next to her was an elderly man with not a hair on his head, but a long, flowing beard. His lined face broke into a reassuring smile at her scrutiny, and she turned to look at the others. One was slouched against the wall, looking sullen. His armor was red, highlighted with white, and he had a long, gold ponytail flowing down his back. She assumed him to be Zero and said as much. He grunted an annoyed response and wouldn't look at her.

"Zero - will you get some manners programmed?" snapped another, and she looked at him. "I swear, she's not gonna -"

Flurry screamed. "Tourian! But you're not Tourian!"

He swung his head to look directly at her. She stared.

"You look just like him," she murmured, voice trailing off.

The robot winced. "Yeah, we noticed that when we found you. Tourian's his name, huh?"

She nodded, pushing her hair back over her shoulder and tucking her knees up against her chest. I never expected anything like this. Never.

"Where's Tourian?" she asked mutedly.

"He's in the next lab over," the human said gently. "He's all right. You can see him soon." The man got to his feet, leaning lightly on a cane he carried with him. "X, you and Zero stay here with her, and I'll check on - eh - Tourian."

Zero slouched down even farther, and X started to object. "Can't I go with you? I don't think you should go in there alone."

The old scientist, for Flurry assumed he was, waved him off impatiently, much like Kreyin would her. "X, I do not need a personal bodyguard, and if I wanted one, it would not be the top Maverick Hunter." His voice grew a bit heated as he went on, and X tilted his head, appearing a bit ashamed of himself. Zero restrained a grin. Clearly this argument had been going on for some time.

"All right, Dr. Cain. I'll stay here."

After the scientist was gone, Zero walked up and backhanded X's shoulder. "X, he's got researchers in the labs with him twenty-four hours a day."

X grimaced. "I know."

Zero shrugged, facing Flurry. "What's your name? We can't just go around yelling 'hey, you.' Too many people answer to that."

X laughed silently at him. "You know, he's right. So - what is your name?"

"Flurry," she answered quietly, not quite sure how they would react. To her relief, they did not say anything. X simply nodded silently, and Zero looked thoughtful.

"Well, as you may have gathered," X remarked, "I'm X. He's Zero." He jabbed a thumb at his companion.

Zero shrugged easily, having noted her nervousness at giving a name. "We don't like it when people make fun of our names - which they don't much, but still - so we don't make fun of anyone else's. Unless they say we can."

X laughed again, this time with volume. "I never understood why someone would do that," he grinned.

A momentary silence fell. Flurry looked around, sliding carefully down from the platform table she was on. The other two didn't appear to notice. She cleared her throat uneasily.

"Where's Ayrmin? Can I talk to him?"

"Yeah!" X said immediately, and Zero glared at him. "He's in the hall, actually. I'll let him in." He turned quickly and went to the door, leaving her alone with Zero.

She looked him up and down easily, weighing, measuring. This one didn't trust her, clearly. Didn't trust anyone. Except X and Dr. Cain. He was waiting for her and the others to make one wrong move - to prove his suspicions correct. She smiled politely, inclining her head.

"You don't like me," she said baldly.

"Not exactly," he replied without missing a beat. "I just don't trust you."

"Or Tourian."

"Or anyone." He smiled grimly. "But you already knew that."

"How would I know?" she asked lightly, coolly.

"You wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't."

She nodded. "I could probably get along with you, Zero," she informed him. "I know I can get along with X. And Dr. Cain." She inclined her head politely. "As far as the rest - it's up to you."

He gave a slight, courtly bow. "I think I can probably get along with you, Flurry. Maybe not as well as with X. You're too much like me. As for trust," he smiled sardonically, "we'll just have to wait and see." He turned away from her, ponytail swinging, and walked to the door, where X was returning with an over-excited Ayrmin. "I'm headed down to the bikes. Got a patrol in a half-hour, buddy. Be there."

X nodded absently, trying to keep his tenuous grip on the dog. Zero went out the door, and Flurry immediately felt a great deal of tension leave the room. She smiled delightedly at Ayrmin.

"C'mere, you dumb dog," she called, and X let him go.

Flurry couldn't restrain her giggles as the dog pounced on her, licking her face frantically. An occasional whine broke through his wildly happy appearance, and he soon settled down thumping his tail heavily on the floor and gazing at her adoringly. He whined again, flattening his ears expressively.

"Aw, baby," she murmured, "Did I worry you? Hmm?"

Ayrmin danced his front paws, getting up to wriggle into her arms to answer.

She smiled fondly, petting his head quietly. When she looked up, X was covering a smile with his hand, eyes dancing with amusement.

"I never had a dog," he remarked, then frowned wryly.

"He's not really mine," she said calmly, getting to her feet and attempting to regain whatever dignity she'd lost in the encounter with Ayrmin. "He likes Tourian a lot more than me. They're practically inseparable."

Ayrmin barked suddenly at the mention of Tourian's name, and Flurry suddenly frowned.

"Where are the other two - Jackdaw and Tremor?"

X blinked. "Who?"

"The bird and the cat," she explained, growing anxious.

"Oh - ah. . .they apparently took - a lot - more damage than Ayrmin, here, and -"

Flurry waved her hand impatiently. "Will they be all right?"

"Oh, eventually, yes," X said immediately. "Dr. Cain's been working on them as much as anyone else. You guys are different - somehow. He wants to find out everything about you. Where came from, what you're doing here - but we all want to know that." X shrugged, grinning broadly at her. "Get ready for some long talk sessions."

Flurry went very pale. No, no, no! We can't afford the time - we - oh, God! He can't know about us! She leaned heavily against the table where she'd been resting, staring distractedly off into space.

"Uh - hello?" X waved his hand uneasily in front of her eyes. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," she said, startled out of her worried reverie. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to -"

"No problem," he said quickly. "You've had a rough trip. It's no big deal."

She nodded dazedly. "I think I'll - shut down for a while. I need some - rest."

X glanced around hurriedly, then looked back at her. "I'd better go. I'll send someone in."

Flurry nodded, wondering absently what Dr. Cain thought of his robots wandering off when he told them to stay. Somehow, it reminded her of Dr. Kreyin. He'd probably fuss a bit, but he knew better than to suspect them of anything. After X was gone, she sank down beside Ayrmin, rubbing his ears absently. I wonder what's going to happen to us. I need to talk to Tourian. Of all the times to take a nap!

There was a polite rapping at the door, and she spun sharply. "Who is it?" she yelped.

"It's only me, Flurry," came Dr. Cain's firm, polite voice. "May I come in?"

"Yes," she answered lamely, shaking her head in weariness. The day had been stressful so far. "Is Tourian awake yet?" she asked as he entered, swinging the door shut behind him.

"Hmm. Yes, he is. He should be along shortly." The old man glanced around. "Where are X and Zero?"

Flurry answered quickly, not really wanting to dwell on Zero. "They had a patrol, they said."

"Ah, yes. I had forgotten about that." He walked over to a chair and sat down, smiling warmly. "They are very dutiful, those two."

Flurry nodded absently, and another knock, not quite as refined as Dr. Cain's came at the door. The scientist turned in his seat. "Yes?"

"I brought him, Dr. Cain," an unfamiliar voice said respectfully. "Can I let him in?"

"Oh, absolutely," the scientist said, laughing. "Let him in, Ryft, by all means."

The door swung open, and Tourian burst in, running over and catching Flurry in a rough embrace. Ayrmin jumped to his feet, barking wildly, and Flurry shouted helplessly.

"You big dummy - let me go!"

He did, dropping her a foot to the floor he'd lifted her off of. "I was worried. I thought you might be hurt - or something."

"I wasn't hurt until you tried to shatter my ribs!" she scolded him. He hung his head, grinning sheepishly. Then, in a lower voice, she murmured, "We need to talk, Tourian - privately. I don't know if this is going to work."

He nodded quickly, then turned to Ayrmin as if she'd said nothing. "Ayrmin! Stupid, how've you been? They been feeding you, boy? Huh?" He said all this amidst the frantic leaping and licking of his canine companion. Ayrmin leaped back, crouching down with his hind end in the air and his tail wagging crazily. Tourian got to his feet from where he had gotten down to his knees to accommodate the dog and faced Dr. Cain.

The scientist had been watching their greetings with great interest, actually, marveling at how human - and dog-like - they were really acting. Whoever had built them was a master programmer. He would love to meet the man - and, somehow, he doubted that would ever happen. Now he looked up as if startled, gazing at the robot who looked so much like X.

"I heard you wanted to talk with us," the robot said calmly, and Cain started at how much he even sounded like X.

"Yes, I would. As a man of science, I am constantly searching for new and different devices and phenomena and trying to understand how they work - and you are new and different. I want to know about you. Where you came from, who made you, why you came here. You are somewhat more advanced than even my newest Reploids, and -"

"Reploids?" Flurry repeated uncertainly. "What are those?"

"Ah! Ah-ha," the man chuckled. "That is what we call the robots created here."

He paused, waiting for them to react. Tourian grunted, not particularly caring if they were called red-bellied boll weevils, and Flurry nodded thoughtfully.

"Then X and Zero - are Reploids?" she offered, almost timidly.

Cain started to nod, then stopped, smiling wanly. "Well, I guess they could be called that, but - neither of them were created here - by me, anyway. X is the creation of a Thomas Light. He lived a long time ago - surely you've heard of him?"

Flurry shook her head, but Tourian nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I downloaded the old files - from the Third Discovery. Don't you remember, Flurry?"

She frowned. "I never touched those files, Tourian," she answered, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"Well, I did," Tourian retorted defiantly, turning to Dr. Cain. "He's in there - along with you and X and Zero!"

Flurry choked in sudden horror. "Tourian - you idiot! Just shut up!"

"What?" he blinked at her. "What did I - oh . . ." He slumped to the floor, not saying another word.

Flurry set her jaw, furious. "Never mind what he said," she snapped desperately. "Tourian mouths off without thinking, and -" She stopped. The man was not swallowing a word of it.

His face was set as if of granite, one eyebrow raised, and a frown working at his mouth. "What do you mean?" he asked her steadily.

"I'll explain - after you do," she said flatly.

Cain frowned. He had no liking for this - all of the sudden, these two new and different robots were worrying him. But he nodded, and continued to explain. "I found X some years ago in a capsule buried under an archeological dig I was out on, and I based my designs on him."

"What about Zero?" Flurry asked softly. She knew she had damaged the man's trust badly - thanks to Tourian, who was still sitting on the floor feeling sorry for himself.

Cain's shoulders slumped slightly. "We don't know where he came from. I'm fairly certain that he does, but it's just as well he won't tell us. Zero just came up out of nowhere one day - and he's been with us since, except when he was killed."

Flurry swallowed hard. "Killed?"

"Oh, yes, my dear. He saved X's life and died in the process. It hasn't happened since."

"Of course not," Flurry muttered.

"Now," Cain said slowly. "It's your turn. How did your friend know about us? What is this 'Third Discovery,' and why are you so reluctant to talk about it?"

Flurry took a deep breath, staring silently at Tourian. "It's a very long story - but I'll try to tell you everything I know."

The scientist's eyes grew hard as she started to talk. She could see no way to go about this well, so when Tourian broke in out of sheer annoyance, she let him talk.

"We're from the future," he snapped angrily. "We came back here to see if we could keep our world from going to pot!" Then he stopped, sank his face in his hands, and would say no more.

Cain stared. "The - future? I had suspected something like that - but to have it really happen - it's more than I was prepared for. The future!" His eyes suddenly grew eager. "Please - tell me what it's like!"

Flurry winced, hanging her head. "It's bad. Something happened back in this time - and allowed the Company to take over the world, essentially. We came back to see if we . . . could stop it from happening."

Cain shook his head. "Tell me. From the beginning. We have time enough to spare."

Flurry took another deep, sighing breath, knowing that time was as much their enemy as anything, and also that they did not have that much to play around with. Slowly, almost unwillingly, she spoke, and their story unfolded before the scientist. It took some hours to tell, interrupted as she was by Tourian, who corrected her, and Cain, who asked an occasional question. Dusk was settling outside when she stopped, and X and Zero walked into the room just as she was finishing up. She glanced at them, at Dr. Cain, and at Tourian, who looked up to see the two of them and glared in utter astonishment.

Uneasily, Flurry murmured, "So we came here. And we hope we can stop - whatever happened. From happening. Again."

She let a heavy silence settle on the room.

Ayrmin gave his tail a feeble wag, and X gazed curiously at his apparent double, sitting on the floor across from him. Zero settled back, gazing at them coldly. Had he been a cat, Flurry decided, his fur would be fluffed, and his ears would be flat against his head. Tourian didn't seem to notice.

"You -" he began uneasily. "You must be the one -" He stopped and shook his head. "Doc never told me where he got my schematics. I didn't think to look - in the files. . . ."

X looked questioningly at Dr. Cain, who shook his head. "I'll explain later."

Zero frowned.

"Why didn't he tell me? I - I would have never come - if I'd known. Who I was. Why didn't he tell me?"

Flurry stared at him. "Tourian, snap out of it. You can't just sit there feeling sorry for yourself. After the others - what was he supposed to do?"

Tourian glared sullenly at her. "You really don't get it, do you? You know who you are - why you are that way!"

Zero looked at him sharply. Then he looked at Flurry even more sharply. His gaze could have cut stone. X only looked worried.

"Dr. Cain," he said quickly, but the scientist waved him off once again.

"X, Zero," he said firmly, "you're to come with me. I'll send Ryft to take them someplace safe."

Flurry sank down beside Tourian, putting her arm over his shoulders. "It'll be all right, Tourian. We can make this work." She met his despairing gaze with deep determination.

"We have to," he said sadly and turned away again.

\--

Once they were out of the room, X turned to Dr. Cain. "What's going on?" he asked sharply. "What did all that mean?"

Cain put a firm hand on X's arm. "Now is not the time for you to know. Later - after they have settled in a bit."

"They're staying?" Zero asked incuriously.

"Yes. I think that would be best for now. They must wait for their machine and their animals - and I can learn still more about them."

Zero nodded slowly. Tourian's words had disturbed him. I know who I am, he said to himself. But I don't know who I will be. I'll have to keep an eye on them. He glanced at X, who seemed troubled by a set of worries all his own.

"Perhaps," Cain was saying, "they will tell you their story on their own. I leave it up to them. All I will tell you two is that nothing - nothing is to be recorded about them. Understood?"

The robots nodded, neither liking the agreement.

"Now, what to do with them," Cain said thoughtfully. "I think I'll put them both in your care. You two are the only loners in the Hunters right now."

X and Zero glanced at him, not liking this sudden change of pace.

"They will be a part of your team. They can certainly offer some help - if not in combat."

Zero grimaced. The old man had blocked his easiest objection. The pair had no weapons systems as far as he could see, and Flurry carried a knife. A knife, of all things! That would certainly be useless against the Mavericks. He said nothing. X didn't speak either. They both knew it would be useless to try to dissuade the man from his plan.

"They're quite a mystery," Zero murmured, smiling bitterly.

X gave him a questioning look, which he ignored.

"I think I'll eat and - go to bed early," Cain remarked. "The day has - taken a great deal out of me." And without further explanation, the man walked away down the corridor.

X gazed after him. "I'll dig through some files," he said, almost to himself. "See if I can find any record of them. If not, it's not a problem. I guess."

"I don't think you're going to find anything. But go ahead," he said at X's sharp look. "I think I'll get some info, myself." He grinned darkly. "Straight from the horse's mouth."

He started back in the direction he'd come, but X called him - in a tone of voice he didn't use much. Only when he felt Zero was in no condition to be wandering around associating with people.

"Zero!" Command, authority, stubbornness. "Don't do anything stupid. Got that?"

"Hey - trust me. They won't go scurrying down any rat holes to get away from me." He made his voice flippant and easy, trying to relax X. It didn't work.

"It's not rat holes I'm worried about. If they decide we're the bad guys -"

"Hey!" Zero snapped, losing his temper with startling suddenness. "They won't." He tried to relax, rolling back the shoulders he'd unknowingly stiffened. "The Mavericks aren't getting their grubby paws on these two. Not if I have to guard them night and day."

X nodded, not quite confidently. "I'll take your word on that - for now."

Zero didn't answer. His mood was deteriorating rapidly, and he didn't really want to face those two ready to fire on anyone who looked at him funny. And he did not want to start an argument with his friend. That was the last thing he needed.

X said nothing as he watched Zero take off down the hall. He knew better.

Sighing wearily, he started off to the main computer, ready for a night of research - or not ready. It really made no difference to him. He had to find some answers. If he only knew where to look.


	10. An Uncertain Trust

Flurry paced up and down the floor, watching Tourian pace in the other direction. Ayrmin yapped occasionally in confusion, taking turns walking behind each of them. He finally gave a low howl and walked to a corner to sulk. Flurry finally stuck her arm out to stop her counterpart, and he stopped before crashing into it. He gazed at her questioningly.

"We told Cain everything," she remarked. "Everything."

He shrugged. "I know. That's what I was thinking about. Should we have trusted him? Will he tell the others? I mean -"

Flurry frowned. "I don't think he'll tell them. He left it up to us to tell them."

Tourian turned on her abruptly. "Do you think we can trust them?" he asked sharply. He slumped wearily. "I'm sorry. I - I guess I've just -"

The door swung open, and an unfamiliar Reploid walked in. "I'm Ryft," he announced. "Dr. Cain wanted me to take you to your rooms. Follow me."

Flurry and Tourian exchanged uneasy glances, but Tourian whistled quickly to Ayrmin, who jumped up, wagging his tail. They followed him out to the hall, where he started up the hall at a brisk pace. They hurried after him; he said nothing more to them. They hadn't been moving for more than two minutes when a voice called after them sharply.

"Ryft! Leave 'em with me."

Flurry turned, gazing suspiciously at Zero, who took a somewhat hostile stance. Tourian nearly charged at him, but thought it over and settled back.

Ryft nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." He turned in a clipped, military fashion and soon disappeared down the hall.

"What do you want?" Flurry asked softly, trying to control what she feared might be a threatening tone of voice.

"Nothing. Doc said you're going to be on team with me and X. You might as well room near us." He turned down the hall.

"That means we have to trust you." Flurry's voice grew flat.

He smiled grimly. "Yup."

"Then lead the way," Tourian snapped, breaking off the argument before it could start. He was in no mood for such stupidity. He ignored Flurry's indignant glare. "Just shut up and show us how to get there."

Zero's mouth quirked. He was momentarily amused at how much he sounded like X. Of course, it might make sense, if he could only find out more about the two of them. He turned on his heel and stalked back in the other direction. After a moment's hesitation, the other two followed him.

"Listen, Tourian," Flurry hissed, "you had no right to break in like that -"

"If I hadn't," he growled in the same, hushed tone, "you would have stood there all night yammering at each other."

Zero pretended not to hear them, but kept walking. His thoughts roiled furiously. About what he would do once he got them to their rooms, about what he would say, how they would react. He wondered at X's seeming lack of curiosity. Lack of determination to find anything, anyway. But before he even saw it, they had reached the quarters in question, and were standing in front of them.

Flurry was glaring impatiently. "Well, is this where we're supposed to be? And if it's not, why have we stopped?"

Tourian jabbed her sharply, but Zero didn't say a word. He opened the door.

"The rooms are adjoining. You two argue about where to sleep. You can sleep in the capsule in the over there, or on the bed, or standing in the corner for all I care. Heck, you don't even have to sleep." He grimaced. "I'll come by in the morning for your first training exercises. Six sharp." He backed away from the door. "Everything in there's pretty self-explanatory. G'night."

He was gone and down the hall without another word to them. Flurry stepped into the room, trying to mask her exasperation. Tourian followed, and Ayrmin bounded onto the bed, where he proceeded to squirm about on his back and look a total fool. But he was a dog. No one held it against him. Flurry stalked to the middle of the room and sat on the floor. She didn't pay any attention to the furnishings, and she ignored Tourian completely. Until he headed for the other room.

"Wait," she said sharply. "I have to asked you something."

He stopped, turned around, slouched. "What?"

"How much do you know about them?"

"A lot. It was all in those files."

"Do you know how they died?"

"No."

"What do you know, then?"

"Where and when. Even why, I think."

"Good. Sit down and tell me what you know. I think they're the keys to saving our world."

Tourian shrugged easily, settling down on the floor beside her. "Well, I guess I should start at the beginning - when Cain found that capsule. Anyway, he found X in there, intact, functioning and all that . . ."

Flurry listened in silence, and, as she did, she became even more firmly convinced that she was correct. Saving the greatest heroes of the age would save her future - and everyone's.

\--

Tourian woke from his sleep cycle the next morning - and found himself alone in his chamber. He darted a startled look around before remembering where he was - why he was there. Then he noticed Ayrmin snoozing on his bed. He had chosen to sleep in the capsule. It ran systems checks periodically, giving his own diagnostics system a chance to rest. Ayrmin wagged his tail faintly, lifting his head.

"Internal chronometer - 5:30," he muttered absently, stepping out of the capsule. A half-hour until Zero came.

He heard noises in the next room over. Flurry was awake as well. After the storytelling he had done last night, she should trust Zero more than she did before, but he probably didn't trust either of them as far as a human could kick them. He probably trusts her more than me. I look too much like X. I suppose he's my twin, except for the armor - this explains the armor, doesn't it? He grimaced painfully. I shouldn't have come here. Should have let Flurry take on her little crusade all by herself -

The door connecting the two rooms opened. Flurry walked in and closed it behind her, leaning wearily against it. Her head was sunk against her chest, and she fingered the knife in its sheathe and pulled it out, cradling it like a beloved child. He stared at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Flurry. I really am. Maybe we shouldn't have -"

She looked up suddenly, a wild light in her eyes. "Don't you say that, Tourian!" she shouted. "Don't you ever say that!" Her eyes drifted back to the knife. "They'll die in a week - two at the most. Maybe it's just a matter of days. We haven't got much time to stop it from happening." But we did the right thing - didn't we? Coming back to watch our plans crumble around our ears. But then, we didn't have any plans anyway. She leaned her head back against the wall with a sigh. "I don't know where they're holding Zephyr anyway."

Tourian nodded and sat down beside her. She leaned against him unhappily, and they both drifted off into their own world - for another half-hour.

Zero rapped on his door at six on the dot. He was not in a pleasant mood - this was earlier than he liked to get up - and at the lack of response, he pounded harder. The third time, he added a curse or two - and nearly hit Tourian in the face when the robot opened the door.

"'Bout time," he snapped sourly. "Let's get going - we've got all of two days to train you guys, and I've got the first shift."


	11. Let the Games Begin!

Flurry's concentration nearly shattered. A ridge - out of nowhere! Oh, for godsakes, why me? She veered the bike as hard as she could to get away from it - the thing steered like a pregnant whale. Straining with every inch of her will, she leaned into the turn, and smiled savagely at her success. Once she was certain that the bike was well past the ridge, she moved to turn back onto the course. And screamed in utter horror.

The gorge seemed to suck her in, despite every effort to steer away from it. Still howling, she fell to what she knew would be her doom -

And the sim ended.

Furious, she ripped the helmet from her head and threw it across the room. It bounced against the wall with a slight crunching of mechanisms and rolled back to her feet. She kicked it into the air and punched it twice, punctuating each hit with a shriek of rage. The offending device finally dropped to the floor, badly dented and irreparably damaged.

Tourian winced and took his own helmet off, staring at his counterpart. "Um, Flurry - I think you were supposed to jump the ridge."

"SHUT UP!"

"Hey," Zero interjected sharply, "that's an expensive piece of equipment!"

She spun to face him, a growl rising in her throat. He ignored it completely, walking over to them, with his usual, easy swagger. Oh, how Flurry hated it.

"Now," he remarked, "you didn't - ungh!"

Taken completely by surprise, he didn't even try to block Flurry's second blow to his midriff - and her third and fourth landed, too. The fifth, and final, was aimed at his face. His head snapped to one side and he dropped to the floor with a clank and a thud.

"What was that for?" he yelled at her.

She stood over him, fuming, and didn't reply.

Still sitting, he muttered, "I was just gonna say that you two did really good for you first time on the SIMULATION!" He finished up shouting, and she turned away in a huff, stalking to the other side of the room with her nose in the air.

Tourian just groaned. Had there been a tree nearby, he would have been beating his head on it. Zero got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"She'd be good in hand-to-hand combat, but we don't do much of that." He nodded quickly. "You both did really well - and yes, you should have jumped that ridge." Flurry sniffed, but he continued. "We'll run through the sim a few more times. I figure you'll have it mastered by then - and then we'll move on to the next level."

"And what level's that?" Flurry asked acidly, leaning against the wall.

"Combat situations," he replied bluntly.

Tourian grunted in surprise. "I thought we weren't any good for combat, though."

"You'd be surprised how many ways that bike is weapon." He grinned. "Shall we try again?"

Flurry sighed and gestured at another helmet, which he tossed to her.

\--

Flurry glowered wearily at the hoverbike resting on the ground in front of her. The second simulation had gone much more smoothly, and they had only needed two more runs to pass. Battle training had been just as easy - she thought Zero had been impressed, although why that mattered to her she couldn't fathom.

But now - an actual, real, in-the-arena test. She hoped the disgusting vehicles handled better in the real world.

X was to oversee this part of their training while Zero got the next part ready. He had stalked off, muttering under his breath, so she wasn't expecting anything pleasant.

"What's with him?" she asked bluntly.

X grimaced. "He just hates setting up sims, that's all."

She grunted, not quite satisfied, and gave him a rather sharp look.

"Oh, and do these things always steer like an obese hippo?"

He winced. "Well -"

"Thought so. I've piloted skids that handled better than these hunks of junk." She kicked the hoverbike out of sheer spite, glaring furiously when it didn't topple over.

"Flurry, will you just shut up for once?" Tourian demanded sharply. "You have one bad morning on the test run -"

"Bad morning?" she shouted at him. "I'm having a bad life, Tourian! Why don't you just keep your nose out of it!"

"Because I have to live with you," he responded acidly. "Every frickin' day, the same crap - nonstop PMS!"

"You watch your mouth, buster!"

"I would if I could, but it's kind of - impossible," he informed her rudely.

"Wouldn't be impossible if slapped I your jaw off!" she snarled.

"Like to see you try it," he taunted, "considering you'd have to get a ladder first."

"I can still get you where it counts, sweetie," she retorted, smirking.

"I'm reconsidering why I ever -" He stopped.

"Just WHAT are you laughing at?" they both yelled simultaneously.

X took a gulping breath. "You guys," he gasped, "sound just like - me and Zero! With a few alterations, of course." He caught his breath grinning at them. "This is definitely going to be interesting."

"I'll show you interesting, you -"

Tourian caught her arm before she got any further. "I'd, heh, watch it, if I were you, X." Which I may well be, make no mistake. "She pounded Zero to the ground this morning."

X looked amused. "She did? No wonder he's so pissed. Bet no girl's ever slapped him in the face before." He laughed again. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"

\--

Tourian grinned insanely into the wind, marveling at the sheer speed he felt. These bikes are great! I don't care what Flurry thinks! The field-training was set to take most of the morning, stopping at noon for - lunch? They didn't need to eat. Nor did they really need to sleep, but rest did systems good, as far as he was concerned. He saw X zip past him and shouted a greeting. X tossed him a wave over his shoulder, and suddenly his radio crackled.

"Tourian, we're coming up on a rough patch - get your bike set up for off-road."

"Right." How? The thought flitted only briefly through his mind, immediately answered. Repulsors at high, lift ratio -

"Huaaagh!" He kicked the bike into a jump just in time to miss the hedge that seemed to spring out of nowhere. Once on the other side, he skidded the bike to a halt, glaring at X, who had already dismounted and was leaning lazily against a tree. The training grounds were forested in some places - pretty thickly - and tracks ran through them with both natural and man-made obstacles dotting the areas. He had no idea whether that hedge was real or synthetic until he saw the grin on X's face.

"You set that up this morning, didn't you?"

"Sure did," he said, nodding at Tourian's perception. "This is an advanced course, Tourian. You and Flurry zipped through the toughest sims this morning, so we decided to let you have a spin in the real world." He shrugged, standing straight. "I figure you can handle the terrain around here. Flurry - well. . . ."

Tourian shook his head sharply. "Flurry can do anything you tell her to, X. She just has a bad temper."

X's glance was skeptical, but he nodded anyway.

"So," Tourian said slowly. "What's left of this course?"

They had been out for an hour. Flurry was probably spinning her gears back at HQ, and she was probably royally pissed off at both of them.

"Um, nothing, I think." X shook his head, looking ashamed of himself. "This isn't a course, actually. It's a part of the forest I hadn't been through too many times, so -"

"What!"

"Just promise me one thing - you won't tell Flurry until I'm out of range."

Tourian snorted. "I'm not going to tell her. What do you think I am? Stupid?"

X grinned. "Never mind, then. Let's head back."

They exchanged mad grins as they hopped on their bikes and headed back to Maverick Hunter HQ.

\--

Flurry paced furiously back and forth in front of the hoverbike. Two hours they had been gone. TWO HOURS! Of course, the time she had spent pacing had given her ample time to think of the best ways to kill them both.

Zero stopped in once, to ask how it was going. He had finished setting up the sims and was waiting impatiently for them to get done. She screamed at him rather rudely until he left.

She was on the verge of marching inside and turning in for the day when the other two bikes swooshed up. Tourian was grinning like an idiot. X was totally expressionless.

Her eyes narrowed, and she tossed her hair forcefully over one shoulder. "And what are you smiling about, Tourian? I'll have you know -"

"Hush up, Flurry. It's your turn already." Tourian, still grinning, dismounted, leaning against his bike like a trophy winner.

X nodded hurriedly. "Hop on. We don't have that much time to get this done. Hey, Tourian. If Zero shows up, tell him to kick back for a while." He almost turned to go back on the road, but he stopped. "Tell him to run through the sim and see if it really works."

Tourian nodded.

Flurry, frowning, climbed onto her hoverbike and tapped tentatively at a couple of buttons. The machine purred into life, bucking a little until she adjusted a few of the settings. X nodded approvingly. He had set the bikes to be adjusted in the hopes that they had been paying attention in the sims. Flurry gunned the engine.

"Let's get on with this."

"Sure," X shrugged and took off, Flurry in close pursuit, swearing softly about men.

\--

Well, it's been okay - so far. As a matter of fact, she was rather enjoying the ride. Nothing had popped up that hadn't been on the sims, and she had come close to outdistancing X on several occasions. I wonder what he's got up his sleeve . . .

Her radio crackled. Maybe I'm about to find out.

"Flurry, set up your bike for off-road. We're entering rough territory."

She didn't even respond. Her fingers danced lightly across the controls, and -

"Eeaaagh!"

She jumped the bike over the hedge, nearly startled senseless. Once on the other side, she saw X standing near a tree - laughing, well, grinning at her. Furious, she punched the speed up and shot into the forest. He couldn't have taken the same route and beaten her. COULDN'T HAVE!

X stared numbly after her as she vanished into the woods, kicking up a trail of dirt and leaves behind her. He shouted suddenly.

"Flurry - wait!" He cursed, jumped onto his own bike and jamming after her.

\--

Flurry's face was fixed in a snarl, rage bubbling from every joint.

The bike was getting some rough treatment. She barely missed crashing into several trees, and the bike whined as she gained on its maximum speed. Heeding her surroundings not at all, she slammed the brakes viciously and spun it sideways, stopping right next to a set of bushes. Once there, she slumped over the handlebars, wondering almost incuriously at her sudden burst of rage. Why can't I control my emotions? Why am I losing it so - She looked up at the sound of another bike approaching. So you think you can keep up with me? We'll see.

She spun the bike back on the path and zoomed through the forest again, this time paying more attention to where she was headed. She noted briefly the encroaching darkness of the woods and adjusted her vision to compensate. She kicked the repulsors up and her bike lifted higher off the ground. Maybe that wouldn't help her go faster, but it certainly kept the dust from getting quite so bad.

The bike suddenly veered sideways with a slight crunch, and Flurry bit her lip worriedly. Was the thing malfunctioning already? Without another thought, she made to turn the bike, and given the tight quarters, it was no easy task.

She never completed the turn.

The hoverbike bucked violently, and she nearly lost her seat. Glancing back to see what she might have run over, she saw four long gashes running down the side of the bike, exposing this insides to dirt and grit.

But that was not her main concern.

The wires were slashed, spewing sparks everywhere.

In the next instant, she vaulted from the bike, slamming into a tree, and watched it careen about crazily before smashing into something and exploding. She shielded her eyes from the fireball and lay still for a moment.

"Well, what have we here?" asked a rasping voice. "A human? What is a she-human doing this far out in the woods?"

She felt something reach over and grasp her hair, yanking her head up.

Her mouth opened to form a soundless scream. A tiger, a huge tiger, had her by the hair and was grinning madly into her face.

"No, not a human - a she-robot! Ah, they'll like this one, they will." On reevaluation, the voice was more like a rough purr than a rasp.

"Let me go." She was surprised at how even her voice was.

"Ah," he purred, sending a slightly metallic breath of air her way, "she even talks. Yes, they'll like this one."

"Let me go!"

"Urr?" He leaned back a bit, settling on his haunches and pulling her farther forward. "No, I don't think so. They would not like that, I think."

"I don't care what THEY will like," she snarled, pulling back. "You will let me go - now!"

"Definitely not. I think you cannot make me."

"Watch me," she said flatly.

Without another word on the matter, she surged forward, knocking him back hard enough that he released her hair. She immediately rolled to her feet and pressed her advantage. The tiger staggered up, snarling, and claws of pure energy flickered into being on his hands. Flurry darted forward, delivering a smashing kick to his torso and another to his belly. The tiger stepped back, slashing at her, and she dodged him easily. She charged in wildly, fists flying into his face, belly, and wherever else they happened to land. She paused for a split second, backing away slightly.

It was all the tiger needed. He charged forward, slashing his claws at her and slicing her from shoulder to waist. She gasped, falling back yet more and clutching at the wounds with her right hand. The left groped for her dagger.

Grinning, the tiger came at her again, and the dagger blossomed in a chink of his armor right at the waist. Completely startled, the beast stepped back, feeling at the strange object somehow implanted in his systems. He tottered back a few more steps and collapsed, every joint wheezing released energy.

Flurry stared at him, wincing slightly as her wounds started to throb. My dagger - I want it back. She limped toward him cautiously, wondering if he might be faking it. He didn't even twitch.

She reached down hurriedly to snatch her dagger - and screamed.

Energy ripped through her, tendrils of light dancing across her vision and slithering to the ground. Her eyes seemed to glaze slightly, but she maintained her grip on the dagger. I won't give this up - NEVER! And suddenly it was over. She stumbled back against a tree, dagger clenched in her grip. Whips of energy trickled up the hilt and her arm, but they no longer pained her.

A millimeter at a time, she peeled her fingers from around the hilt, and the knife dropped to the ground, energy fizzling in a couple of sparks. Her hand, still curved in a semblance of a fist, sparked with the lightning.

For a moment, she forgot her pain, mesmerized by the flickering light. Unconsciously, an image arose in her mind. The lightning formed a five rings of energy, curving easily around her arms. She opened her hand, staring wonderingly. Her jaw dropped.

Almost of its own choice, the rings disintegrated and reformed a whip of light energy that slashed through to the treetops, turning leaves and branches that were in its way - to ashes.

Flurry clenched her fist again, crying out. Her wounds throbbed again, streaming lubricants and other necessary fluids to the ground. She sank to her knees, opening her hand again.

The energy was gone. Her head slumped back against the tree.

"Flurry! Where are you - come on, answer me!"

She lifted her head slightly. "Over - here!" she called weakly. "X -"

Her body went limp, and she collapsed on the forest floor like a rag doll.

\--

X brought his bike to a halt, staring at the two bodies lying on the ground. Flurry and - Neon Tiger? What's he doing alive? Or dead, now as it appeared.

"Flurry? Are you -" He cursed. "We need a med unit out here!" he snapped into the radio. "And hurry up with it!"


	12. Repairs and New Worries

Tourian stared distractedly at the computer screen monitoring Flurry's health. His mind reeled in horror at what he had allowed to happen to her. How could I have been so stupid? I should have gone with them . . . He jumped as someone tapped his shoulder.

"Hey - she should be okay in a couple of hours."

He turned to gaze at Zero, who managed a faltering grin. "Why don't you go recharge for a while?"

X's twin nodded dazedly and got to his feet. He didn't say a word, stumbling miserably to the door.

"Hey!" Zero called, and he twisted his head back. "We'll call you as soon as she's better."

Tourian nodded and was gone, Ayrmin trailing him and flopping his tail unhappily.

"Zero," X said quickly, "come look at this!"

"What?" the red Reploid demanded. He tilted his head curiously at the screen X was gesturing at so frantically. He blinked - then stared. "What is that?"

"We don't know for sure," Dr. Cain murmured wearily from the other side of the modified operating table.

"Just in her left arm?"

"Yes. It doesn't appear to be spreading at all, but -"

X was gazing at it steadily. "I think I know what it might be," he said uncertainly. He jerked his head up to face Zero. "Run a scan on my arm cannon - the weapons modification systems."

Cain raised an eyebrow. "You think it might be -"

X shook his head. "I don't know. But we don't know how advanced these two are, so it could well be."

Zero had walked halfway across the room by then. "Hey, X. I can't drag the scanner over there without ripping it out of the wall. Comprende?"

"I'm coming."

Five minutes later, the uneasy trio stared warily at the two scans - one of X's arm cannon, one of Flurry's arm.

"That's too weird," Zero muttered. "They're almost the same - almost."

"Yes," Cain said almost absently. "X's cannon only modifies and utilizes the weapons of another robot - her systems seem to have actually integrated it."

Zero waved him to a stop. "In English, Doc."

Cain looked at him impatiently, knowing that he knew perfectly well what had been said. "Neon Tiger's weapon is now a part of her arm. There's no way to get it out." He looked back at Flurry's unconscious form. "Poor child. She probably didn't know what hit her."

Zero blinked. "Lemme get this straight - she killed Neon Tiger? How? With what?"

X tossed him something, and he caught it, raising it to the light. "With that, Zero," he said soberly. "A knife in his gut."

Zero turned the knife over in his hands, suddenly catching the hilt and flicking a small knob there. The knife flared suddenly, sparking and humming with energy.

"Turn that thing off," Cain said sharply. "We don't have time for you to play around with it."

Zero hesitated a moment before complying. He then tossed it back to X, who slid it neatly into the sheathe at Flurry's side.

"Funny," he said softly. "The energy's a lot like my lightsaber. Maybe -"

X and Dr. Cain had already turned away. "Should we bring her out now?" X was asking. "I think her systems can handle activation."

Cain raised his finger warningly. "X, you should see to Tourian. Tell him she'll be all right - and get him working on the next training exercises. If his abilities are anything like hers appear to be - well, we can dearly use his help."

X nodded, a trifle sullenly, and was gone. Zero stood still, completely lost in thought. I wonder if she'd go along with it, even if Doc lets me.

"Now, Zero."

"Huh?"

Cain smiled firmly. "You have an idea?"

"Uh, yeah." He shifted from foot to foot, suddenly uneasy. "I was wondering if I could teach her how to use a lightsaber - like mine."

The scientist nodded calmly. "Go on."

"I mean, if she could kill a Maverick with just that" he gestured at the dagger "she'd be deadly with a saber - don't you think?"

Cain looked at Flurry's somewhat peaceful face regretfully. "If we must teach children to kill," he said softly.

Zero swallowed hard. "If it's a bad idea," he began, but Cain shook his head.

"Teach her, teach her. I'll leave you in charge of her instruction, and X in charge of Tourian's. Use your own judgement." He paused, regarding again Flurry's sleeping form. "I don't believe there are Mavericks where she comes from, Zero. The child had never had to kill before." His face grew firm. "Be careful with her. Don't mar her any more than she already is." He stopped again. "You should never have come to us for help, Flurry," he whispered to her, almost too softly for Zero to hear. "We can't save your world."

He hobbled around the edge of the table, leaning more heavily on his cane than usual. Zero watched sadly. The scientist - just for a moment - had seemed to age well beyond his years. An old man, and an old fight. Maybe you should never have dug X up, Doc. Life sure would've been simpler.

The scientist stood still just before leaving the room. "Wake her when everything's at green. I've got to get back to work." He shook his head. "Sorry to say, it may have been to our luck that she was attacked. She's given me a point to start searching for a Maverick base."

\--

Two hours later, Zero (having dozed off a half-hour earlier) started from sleep and gave an head-splitting yawn. He glanced over at Flurry. She was still snoozing comfortably, and all the indicators had gone green - five minutes earlier.

"Well, Sleeping Beauty," he growled, "time for a wake-up call, but I'm not gonna kiss you."

To his utter surprise, she stirred slightly. "Better not," she muttered softly. "I'd slap you into next Tuesday."

He blinked. "You woke up on your own, huh?"

"You yawn loud," she retorted, trying to sit up.

He reach over to help her, but she shook him off. She swung her legs over the edge of the edge of the table and slid down, finding herself at about Zero's chest level. He backed off before she could shove him.

"There's been a slight change in schedule," Zero remarked to her as she ran a couple of diagnostics. "You're learning from me, and Tourian's learning from X."

"Why?" she asked sharply, taking a fistful of her hair in hand, a strange nervous gesture. She had no idea where it came from.

"Well, for one thing, you're going to be learning different stuff. Tourian's going through standard training. Plus anything extra X can teach him," he amended. "You're going to learn how to use this."

He swung his saber out and ignited it, all in one smooth motion. Flurry looked suspiciously past the burning blade to him and stretched out her hand. He clicked the blade off and put it away, shaking his head.

"Not a chance, sister," he grunted. "You'll get your own."

Her lips compressed into a faint frown. "Sure, buddy. Just how am I going to learn how to use one if I don't have one already?"

"We'll see."


	13. Lessons

For the following days, Flurry and Tourian didn't see much of each other. Zero and X didn't see much of each other. Nobody saw much of Dr. Cain. Cloistered away with his computer, he searched for the Maverick base - without too much success.

\--

Flurry stumbled back, holding her saber in front of her as a shield from Zero's furious onslaught. And the day was going so well, she thought, growing angrier with each step. A nice, easy lesson, a couple of training exercises -

A grunt of startlement escaped her and she dodged aside, swinging the saber up to block an overhead swing. Sparks flickered momentarily, and the sabers shied away, slashing together again in a mad dance for superiority.

And suddenly, Flurry's legs swung out from underneath her.

She shrieked, landing on her tail with a thud. She rolled out of the way as he brought the saber swinging down at her again.

"Quit it!" she shouted, trying to move away. "What's the big idea!"

He didn't answer, charging at her like a mad creature, lightsaber poised to slice her neatly in two. In sudden rage and desperation, she shifted her saber to her right hand, lifting her left up, palm flat out facing him. Almost of its own accord, a whip of light energy lashed out at him.

He had time to blink before it caught him on the shoulder, plastering him neatly against the far wall. His lightsaber dropped to the floor, a mask of pain convulsing his face.

Flurry screamed, throwing her own saber, still ignited, across the floor, cutting a curving slice out of the tile. Her right hand went to her mouth, and she stared at the left, still held out, the energy gone. A low sob escaped her. What have I done?

Zero reeled forward slowly, clutching at his right shoulder. "What the -" he muttered softly, then yelled at her. "I wasn't gonna hurt you! You idiot! What was that -"

"Shut up!" she screamed at him. "I didn't MEAN to!"

And she stopped, lowering her hands to her side. Her entire body seemed to sag, as if an immense weight was suddenly dropped on her. I didn't mean to . . . I really -

She uttered a sudden, despairing cry and spun around, running from the room. Had she allowed herself to cry, tears would be streaming down her cheeks. No better control than a - a child. I'll never be able to control - What would Kreyin say to me? Why am I here? WHY? I should never have come. Why am I here?

Zero winced, rubbing his shoulder again. The pain was almost gone. That shot had been meant more to get him back than to hurt or stun him - hadn't it? Then he started. Where was she -?

"Where are you - hey, get back here!"

He bolted out the door after her. X is gonna have my hide if she -

"Flurry!"

\--

He found her some time later, in her own room, of all places. She was crouched in the corner, staring hazily off into space, a cold, hurting smirk twisting her lips. She didn't respond to his unauthorized entry, nor did she respond to her name. Once, she sighed, looking forlorn, and tucked her legs up close to her body, slumping back against the wall.

"Flurry." He said it one last time, and the smirk returned to her lips.

"What do you want? Get lost before I kill you."

Zero's expression was frankly skeptical. "You wouldn't do that."

She glared at him. "How do you know?" she shouted. "I don't even know that."

He crouched down in front of her, looking straight into her eyes. "If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when I was attacking you. That was no stray energy, Flurry."

She met his gaze sadly. "Maybe not, but I have no control over it. I didn't mean to do that to you. I really didn't."

"I know."

She slumped further and turned away. "I shouldn't have come."

"That may well be," Zero remarked to her, leaning back and sitting, "but you did. Nothing to be done about it now."

She smiled wanly.

Taking it as a sign for the better, he said, "So, what say we go and try to learn a little more? I've gotta teach you not to throw your lightsaber around activated."

With a faint sniffle, she nodded, and they went back to the training room.

\--

X and Tourian were sparring, fighting hand-to-hand, and X was finding himself somewhat behind his apparent twin in the actual fist-fight. He grunted sharply as Tourian caught him in the stomach, and he caught the other robot's wrist. They were locked in struggled for a moment, when X suddenly found himself sitting on the floor, staring up at Tourian in utter befuddlement.

Tourian caught his expression and started to laugh helplessly. "X - you look like an idiot! Get up off the floor."

"What'd you do to me?" he demanded.

Tourian waggled his finger. "Ah - secret! Flurry taught me, actually. She's got better hand-to-hand and martial arts skills than I'll ever have. Anna was -" He stopped, stooping to help X up.

"Who's Anna?" X asked curiously.

"Nobody," Tourian said sharply, not meeting his gaze.

X tilted his head calmly. Those two have more secrets than - I don't know what. "It's all right. I don't need to know."

Tourian nodded quickly. "I - I'll tell you anyway. Anna was Dr. Kr - our creator's - daughter. Flurry's design is based on her appearance. She's a lot like her."

"Dead?"

"Car accident. I think she died before the Third Discovery."

X blinked. "The what?"

"Never mind, X. I can't tell you now." Not yet. I have to talk with Flurry first.

He nodded lazily. "Let's do this now."

And they went into another set of maneuvers. Tourian knocked X down again. And they went into another set and another, usually with the same results. X finally raised a hand.

"I give up! But now it's time for me to teach you something."

"Shoot." Tourian gave him a cocky grin.

A plasma shot fireballed neatly into a target at the far end of the room.

"That wasn't - precisely what I meant."

"Flurry's training with Zero," X explained, "but we noticed something funny when Doc was fixing her up. She adapted the weapon of the robot she'd been fighting. As far as I know, I'm the only one who can do that. We were wondering if you had the same ability."

Tourian's smile grew shaky. "I, heh, have no idea. And I don't know how we could find out anyway. I mean - I don't see any enemies around here, do you? And even if there were, I wouldn't be any good, and -"

"Tourian, shut up."

Tourian stopped.

"Take hold of my arm."

He shifted suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

"Just trust me."

Unease flickering across his face, Tourian rested his hand on the X-buster and waited for something to happen. X frowned.

"Maybe if I hold a charge," he muttered, almost to himself.

Tourian heard a slight hum as the X-buster charged up, and he yelped in sudden, surprised pain. A nimbus of light flickered on his hand, skimming delicately up his arm until it settled at his elbow and worked its way back down. X grinned.

"Funny," he remarked, pulling his arm away. "I feel the same." A violent charged shot ripped one of the targets off its hinges. "Then it's a copy - so to speak - not a transfer." He shrugged. "That means stripey-butt would still have his powers, if he were alive."

Tourian stared at his hand. "What did you do to me?"

The X-buster shifted back to his normal hand, and he pointed with it. "I'm still not sure. Shoot at that target."

"Shoot at the target?" Tourian said incredulously. "Shoot at the target? How'm I supposed to shoot at it if I don't have anything to shoot with?" He made a motion like throwing a baseball. "Like that? Huh?"

A blast of pure white burst from Tourian's palm, dead-center on the target.

X's jaw dropped as the target sizzled. "You sure pack a wallop, Tourian."

Tourian stared. "I did that?"

"Absolutely. Now all you have to do is learn how you did it."

Grinning madly at each other, they returned to their lessons.

\--

Dr. Cain's face sank into his hands. Another day, and not a sign of the base. Maybe it was a fluke. The Mavericks are gone. There hasn't been an attack for months - almost a year.

He lifted his head, smiling bitterly. Until this week.

Tapping a code into the computer, he said, "Computer, continue search for specified signals and resonances. Expand search area twenty kilometers on the hour."

He would find the base, sooner or later.

For their sake, I hope sooner. . .


	14. Hard Lessons

Days passed.

"Ryft should be along soon," Zero remarked, and Flurry looked up from her training exercises. "He was in my unit before -" He grimaced bemusedly. "Before I didn't have a unit anymore."

"Before you died?" she asked, clicking the blade off and looking at him.

"No, after. I was in charge of a special forces unit for a while."

"So why aren't you now - or am I prying?" She moved to flip her hair and stopped. She had put it in a braid earlier that morning to keep it out of her face.

He shrugged. "I made a stupid mistake - and I nearly lost all of them. I resigned." He swung his saber out, igniting it. "Ryft survived it - and two others. They're dead now. Ready?"

"Mmm, no. Let me practice a little longer." She went through the motions automatically; she knew them by heart. "So, why's he coming?"

"He's coming in to work with us. I figured you need to try fighting someone else for a while. Different styles, and all that crap." He grinned lamely.

"He uses a saber?" She swung the saber in a quick arc, suddenly spinning at the end and adding a kick.

"Not a bad move there," Zero informed her. "No, he doesn't."

She didn't answer, trying her new move again.

"Have you tried incorporating your firepower with your attacks?"

She stopped, abruptly kicking out viciously. "No." She said it firmly. "I did just fine without it before."

"But you have it now," he said calmly, bracing himself for an explosion of outrage.

To his surprise, she replied gently, "I know. But I won't use it. It's my choice, Zero."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." Finally get her a decent weapon - and she won't use it!

A quick rap sounded at the door.

"Come on in, Ryft!"

Flurry stopped what she was doing and waved. "Hi, Ryft!"

Smiling faintly, he waved in return. His armor was silver-chased green, with bands of dark blue on the arms. He had a scar running down his cheek from above his left eye. Flurry thought it might be from whatever disaster Zero's unit might have had. She'd have to ask more about that later.

"Zero," he said. "I can't stay long. Dr. Cain needs my help."

Zero nodded. "Okay. Let's see what we can do." He grinned, stepping back. "Well, have at it. There's only one rule. No killing." He raised his hand. "Let 'er rip!" And he dropped it.

Flurry darted sideways, dodging a relatively mild shot of plasma energy. The way she figured it, that would only sting. Momentarily, she considered using her own power but immediately disregarded the idea. She suddenly charged at him, holding her lightsaber high. He darted into a roll and came up shooting. A shot stung her side, but the other missed and scored the floor.

"First strike!" Zero announced.

Flurry leaped, springing as high as she could to land near Ryft and dodge his shots at the same time. She swung the saber neatly, bringing the blade a hairsbreadth from his neck.

"Kill!" Zero sounded surprised. "Ryft?"

He grinned lamely. "I'm out of practice.

Flurry shook her head, laughing. "I'm just too good for you!"

"Try it again," Zero ordered, and Flurry sighed. It was going to be another long day.

\--

X and Tourian had finished sparring with each other, and they were now trying to decide what kind of training would actually work for them both. They were seated at the mess hall, put in for the human Hunters, watching the humans who were off shift eat. It wasn't really all that interesting.

"I've taken you through every training routine I can think of," X said glumly.

"We went through the sims - all of them!" Tourian groaned at the memory.

"You've been out on the bikes."

"I've sparred with other Hunters."

"You've downloaded the rules and regs."

"I stood in for Zero at a commencement ceremony, even."

"Bo-o-oring."

They both started laughing. It had been boring, even for the people the ceremony was recognizing. Tourian remembered seeing one doze off, only to be nudged awake by the person he'd leaned on.

"I suppose we could go watch the new ones start their training."

"I guess so."

The looked at each other steadily. "Nah," was the simultaneous decision.

Tourian had seen Flurry for a grand total of five minutes in the past two days. She'd slammed into him, knocking him down. Apologizing hurriedly, she'd darted into her quarters and darted out again, in such a hurry that she nearly knocked him down again. At least she's having fun.

"I have an idea," X said suddenly. "I'm on the roster for a patrol in about an hour. You can take Zero's place today."

"Why not?" Tourian grinned. "It beats sitting around here."

\--

Cain sat back slowly, waiting for Ryft to come in. Zero had requested the Reploid to help with Flurry's training, but he should have been back by now. The scientist needed his help sorting through the data from the scans. It was far too much for a human, and Ryft was his best Reploid data analyst.

Finally sighing, he tapped the console. "Ryft, report to FLEER immediately."

FLEER was the computer's name. It stood for something, some government nonsense, but he couldn't remember exactly what.

Within minutes, Ryft was in the room, apologizing quietly. "It took longer than I thought it would. She's not bad - even if she doesn't have a weapons system."

Cain smiled kindly, deciding not to tell him of Flurry's recent upgrade. "We need to start looking through this data. The computer never notified me of anything, but -"

Ryft was already at the console, watching the data stream by at far higher speeds than Cain could even imagine reading. An hour later, he was finished, shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"Nothing."

Cain nodded. "I didn't imagine there would be. I guess we should widen the search radius."

Ryft nodded. "I'll stay and mind the computer. It's time you took a break."

The old man smiled wanly. "You act like X, sometimes, Ryft. I'll go eat and go to bed. Don't hesitate to wake me if something comes up."

"Absolutely, Dr. Cain."

\--

Flurry paused. "I suppose he's not coming back?"

"Probably not. Cain's running himself and Ryft ragged trying to find the Maverick base." He sat on the floor. "I wonder what X and Tourian are doing."

"Nothing," Flurry smiled faintly. "I think. They ran through all the exercises either of them could think of yesterday."

"Heh. So have we."

She heaved a sigh. "Do you know how Tremor and Jackdaw are?"

He blinked. "No, I don't. Maybe we should check your quarters for messages."

She nodded firmly.

\--

As a matter of fact, the message was from an hour earlier, stating that the animals had a fantastic recovery and were waiting to be picked up. Once they arrived at the med labs, a furious yowl greeted them.

"Welcome back to the real world, Tremor," Flurry smirked, rubbing the cat's ears.

Jackdaw cawed rudely, flapping his wings.

"Right, right. I missed you, too."

The bird flapped delicately to her shoulder and snipped his beak at her hair. Tremor promptly jumped into her arms and swatted at the bird's wings. It would have erupted into a fight if she hadn't dropped the cat on the floor. He slapped at her boots, sticking tail and nose as high in the air as they would go.

"Don't bump into anything on your way out," Flurry called to him.

He hissed.

\--

They left them in Flurry's quarters, and they were surprised to find Ayrmin there, looking forlorn. At which point Zero had smacked his forehead in disgust.

"A patrol!" he groaned. "Of course! He must have taken Tourian with him."

Flurry nodded absently, suddenly flopping on the bed. "What was your unit, Zero?" she asked, sitting up. "And what happened to it?"

He looked at her blankly for a moment. "Oh, yeah. That." He shook his head. "You really want to know about it?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble." She crossed her legs. "I don't want to stir up anything painful."

"Too late," he said ruefully. "But it's all right. I'll tell you my little story."

She moved to the floor, where he sat slowly, getting comfortable.

"If we have time," she said quietly, "I guess I can tell you some of why we're here. In case you haven't already figured it out."

Zero looked at her downcast face. "Right. Whatever." He cleared his throat. "I'm not quite sure where to start . . ."


	15. The Unit #0 Disaster

_There were ten Reploids in the unit besides me and Ryft. I guess that's kind of funny - that he's the only one alive, I mean. We hated each other._

_Back then, Sigma was incredibly active. Every few months, a new attack. Dr. Cain decided we needed an elite force to back X, and he picked me to lead it. They were brought to the unit based on their abilities, so there wasn't any way for me to know them. We weren't as organized back then. But anyway, I remember them all._

_There was Ryft, Cadre, Talon, and Joreth. Joreth was the only human in the unit. He was good. I mean - he had to be. Cadre and Talon were decent folks. Nimbus, Schak, Schok. Those three were related in some form or fashion. Probably the same line of Reploids. Coal. He was a scary character. If a Reploid was ever built that went over the edge easier than him, I never heard about it. Rain, Terrain, and Larin. Rain was the nicest of anybody in the unit, including myself, and Terrain was the nastiest - to everybody. Larin was our resident fix-it man. If something was wrong with a machine, he could make it right. I think only one of them went Maverick. Yeah. It was Coal. He - well, you'd have to know him._

_Well, like I said, Sigma was really making life miserable for everybody. He wasn't even bothering to hide his actions behind his minions anymore. Every few hours, another threat by the he himself, broadcast on every radio, TV, and whatever else-station. Doc pinpointed the base after about two weeks. He sent us out, for some reason. To scout it out, I think._

_It was an old mining camp - the humans abandoned it a long time ago._

_And, naturally, Sigma was holed up way in the back of the cave. That's where the stupid decision part came in._

_We reported back to Hunter HQ, just like normal, but Coal was getting antsy. I was planning to wait around. No way I was heading in there without being told. We just had to hold the perimeter._

_Ryft was buddy-buddy with the guy, and they wandered off to their own little space, probably saying rude things about me. I told Cadre and Rain to walk the other way, keep an eye on the area, keep quiet. I told Joreth to stay with me. The others fanned out to evenly spaced posts along the area._

_It stayed quiet for about fifteen minutes, then I hear shouts and shots coming from the direction Coal and Ryft took off in. I was royally pissed. I mean, they blew our cover sky high. I ran out there - Joreth was hot on my heels, and I saw Coal and Ryft watching some Mavericks from the bushes._

_The Mavericks were fighting, and the two of 'em were cracking up._

_I thought it was just a false alarm, but then I heard Coal say something._

_"What was that?"_

_He just grinned at me. Ryft answered, and he didn't have any problems not sparing my feelings. "He said a blind dog with two legs could lead us better than you." He shrugged. "I told him one was."_

_It wasn't a very creative jab, and even he admits it now. I didn't say anything. He swears I said something back. Well, whatever happened, he attacked me. Yeah, attacked me. I have this problem with not anticipating an attack, and he had me on the ground pummeling my face before I could blink. Coal was laughing his head off._

_Joreth yelled something about the Mavericks hearing, but by then it was too late. The shots came up through the trees. Joreth took one in the side. It spun him around, and he caught another in the chest. I managed to throw Ryft off, and we took cover. The rest of the unit was headed our way._

_It took us about five minutes to deal with the Mavericks. I winged one of them, and Ryft took out another. Cadre hit one, and Larin caught another trying to head into the mines._

_The one I winged made it in - most of the mess was my fault._

_Coal jumped down and headed after him, but I wasn't paying attention to him. Ryft yelled something at me, and he took off after Coal._

_Joreth was dying. Practically dead. His wounds were a mess - I won't bother with the gory details. He grinned at me once before he went. There was this hand-sign we'd developed a while back. That was his last communication to the unit._

_I was an emotional wreck by then, and the others weren't much better. Rain was the first to snap out of it._

_"Ryft and Coal went in there," he snapped. "We need to get them out. X and the others will get here soon - but not soon enough to get them out alive."_

_Here's my mistake. I agreed to go in after them. That may be the stupidest thing I've ever done. It was kind of crazy getting down there._

_We spread out, firing into the cave - assuming that there were Mavericks in there to take the shots. Well, there weren't._

_The cave was a decoy. We got in there, and we found Coal standing over the Maverick I missed . . . and Ryft. Ryft's face was a mess, cut from top to bottom. You saw the scar. Coal was grinning insanely._

_"I couldn't stop him - he tried to kill my brother." The grin grew wider. "He tried." Then he stopped. He looked awfully confused, almost like he wasn't sure what he was talking about. "He killed my brother. I had to do it."_

_Then he fired at us._

_And like idiots, we fired back. The noise wasn't enough to cause a cave-in, but the plasma energy hitting the ceiling was. The whole mine just collapsed on top of us. The ones at the front of the cave got the worst of it. Larin, Rain, Schak, and Schok were killed immediately. The rocks ripped Nimbus and Talon apart. I managed to get over to where Coal was standing and knock him down. Cadre and Terrain followed me, and Terrain made more of a mess of Coal than I would have thought possible._

_And we were trapped in a cave. Four out of a unit of twelve - and the best twelve the Maverick Hunters had to offer. Well, I used to think I was, anyway._

_Wasn't any danger of suffocation - what can I say? So we waited. Ryft never came to, but Terrain had plenty to say to me. Mostly about my leadership ability. Cadre shut down and wouldn't listen to us._

_Two hours later, X and the others found us. Took another day to dig us out, and Cadre and Terrain refused to stay on. I wasn't much inclined to stay either, and Ryft informed Dr. Cain that Unit #0 could go to blazes - and so could I. (Well, he didn't say "go to blazes," but, you know.)_

_Dr. Cain wanted me to try again, but I said no - loudly. I said I'd be my own unit for a while. See if I could do any good that way._

_And I have, so far._


	16. A Revealing of Secrets

"So there you have it. The fall of Unit #0." He grinned. "Now it's your turn. Why did you come here - other than to make life a little messier for all of us."

Flurry, silently horrified by the tale, shook her head. "I came to save my world."

"That's as good a reason as any," he said quietly. "Save it from what?"

"The Company."

"I beg your pardon?"

She hung her head. "The World Robotics and Technology Administration. They sort of took over the world - without a fight."

"How'd they do that?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I think it was the war. There was a huge war, and - but that's not why robots disappeared."

"Robots disappeared?" Zero asked, blinking. "How?"

Her eyes grew distressed. "I don't know. For some reason, robots all but vanished nearly two hundred years before -" She stopped, giving his a nervous look.

"Before what?" he asked, shifting nervously.

"Before I was created."

He stared. "Two hundred years?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Tell me."

"I supposed it was the disappearance of robots that started it. Once they were gone, humans were on their own. And the humans started a war." She shrugged. "I think that's how it went. The war sort of wrecked the world as they knew it, and created the world as I know it. The Company started out as a government organization designed to screen harmful technological devices. To keep the war from happening again." She frowned silently. "It got out of hand. The Company got a monopoly on every piece of technology they would get their paws on. And they called in scientists later - to make new devices. Breakthroughs, something for the people to spend their money on."

She sighed, leaning back against the bed. "My creator was one of them. Dr. Janus Kreyin, one of the greatest scientific minds in the world. His big break - and his big downfall - was the Third Discovery."

Zero sat in silence, listening to her, wondering what she could possibly do to stop that from happening. The story ran on for two more hours, until she finally stopped.

"I have to stop the chain reaction. And all I know is - this is where it starts."

"What?" He sat up sharply.

"Sometime - in about a week, actually, something happens, and my world gets ruined. I came to stop it, if I could."

Zero got to his feet and started to pace. "Something - sometime! That's not a lot to work with."

She rose slowly, laying a hand on his arm and turning him to face her. "Zero, I think you and X are going to die."

He stared down at her, shaking his head. "Die? I've already died once. I don't plan on doing it again."

Her eyes were grave. "I'm serious, Zero," she said desperately. "And I can't let it happen!" She flopped on the bed again. "It's what starts the chain reaction. I know it is."

He shook his head grimly. "I won't die, Flurry. I promise you that."

She sat up, sliding off the bed again. Her shoulders were shaking. "I can't afford to fail. My world depends on my success."

"I won't die," he said stubbornly, pulling her to her feet. "And I'll take care of X. Neither of us will die. I don't know if we can help you, but we'll do our best."

On impulse, she flung her arms around him, shaking with sobs. Startled, and feeling a little helpless, he smoothed her hair, murmuring gently.

"Whatever it is, we'll pull through."

As her shaking subdued, he thought wearily, We're saving a world we've never seen. For a couple of robots we don't even know. He smiled at himself. Sounds like my kind of work.

\--

Dr. Cain leaned back slowly. "That's it," he breathed.

Ryft looked up silently, a smile crinkling the scar that ran down his face. "Looks like it." Pride surged through him. Finally, after all this searching. The new Maverick base. The final Maverick base, he thought grimly.

"One hundred fifty-two kilometers out from the site where Flurry was attacked." A wide smile crossed his face. "And we have her to thank."

Ryft nodded slowly. And Zero, for finding her. I don't think I can ever like him, but at least I don't hate him. He sighed to himself. I don't hate him.

"Zero, X," Cain was saying. "Report to FLEER immediately."


	17. The Maverick Base

Zero could only stare unbelievingly at the screen. "You've really found them."

X nodded, a smile warring with a fierce glare across his face. Zero thought he looked silly, but he didn't say anything.

Flurry and Tourian had followed the two of them to FLEER, and she was whispering hurriedly to him. He nodded, heaving a great sigh, and murmured back.

She hugged him quickly, and they turned to the computer.

"What are you going to do?" she asked softly.

"We're gonna find 'em," Zero said immediately, "and we're gonna smash 'em."

She shifted uneasily. "You can't go alone."

"I'm not," he responded, turning around and leaning against the computer console. "X is coming, too."

X shrugged easily. "We've done this before, Flurry."

Her eyes grew slightly frustrated. "That doesn't have anything to do with it!" she said angrily. "If you go now - alone -"

Zero shook his head sharply and walked toward her. "Listen, Flurry, we'll get out okay. It's not a huge deal."

Ryft got up slowly. "She's saying, Zero," he said acidly, "that this may be too dangerous for you two to handle yourselves."

Cain rose calmly. "She has a point, Zero," he informed them, leaning on his cane, "This is a small base - and from what we've seen, the smaller the base, the more firepower it has."

Ryft glared at Zero for a moment longer. "This time, we're sending everyone out," he remarked, for he and Cain had discussed it. "We need to crush the Mavericks once and for all. And it appears that the two of you have never been able to do that alone."

X started, looking annoyed. "Watch it, Ryft," he muttered softly. "Just because you don't like him -"

"Hey," Ryft snapped. "Why do you think I do everything to antagonize him? I'm stating fact. We're sending out five transports of the best 'bots we have. You'll attack the base together." He nodded to Dr. Cain. "And I plan to be on one of them."

Cain nodded in agreement. "I put Ryft in charge of the lead transport."

X and Zero, not much to Flurry's surprise, looked disappointed, Zero especially.

"You don't think we can do this - ourselves?" he asked, hurt.

Cain sighed gently. "No, that's not it. I don't want to risk you two. The danger is far too great, and the Hunters need you - not just because of your fighting abilities."

They looked up, doubtful, and Cain grew exasperated. "You two are the heart and soul of this establishment. If we lose you, we've lost - everything! The human Hunters will quit right and left - and the robots, gah! They'll continue, of course, but -"

"Stop bein' so selfish!" Ryft sputtered at Zero and X, cutting Cain off. "You're heroes. HEROES! Do either of you understand what that means?"

Zero's head snapped up. "I don't want to be a hero," he growled softly. "I want to do my job - and do it well! And I won't let you stop me."

X stared at them. "Maybe we don't understand what it means to be a hero, but I'm with Zero. We'll take the transports - but we're doing a recon run before anyone goes near it."

"X -"

"What?" His face was set stubbornly, prepared for an argument.

"That's all right." Cain sighed wearily. "You may leave early to check the area - but remember, the transports will be coming. Don't do anything foolish."

Zero nodded, a grin coming up. "We won't - it's not something we like to do."

Flurry stared at them. "NO! That's not what I meant! We have to go with you!"

"What?"

Cain looked at her, frowning. "Flurry, it's far more dangerous for you and Tourian than them. They've dealt with this threat before -"

"So have I!" she said angrily, jabbing her thumb at her chest. "I killed one of them, remember? I'm the one who helped you find the stupid base!"

Tourian caught her arm. "Flurry. . . ."

"Leave me go!" she snapped, jerking loose. "Please - you have to let us." Her eyes were pleading. "We have to try."

Cain shook his head. "No. And I think X and Zero will agree with me."

"Uh, yeah," Zero said nervously.

He caught Flurry's shoulders. "I promised you," he said softly, just so she could hear, "I promised that we'd stay alive. I won't break that promise."

She jerked loose from his grip and stalked from the room, trying to decide whether to scream or cry. After all we've done - we can't fail now! She didn't hear them calling after her to come back and walked all the way to her quarters.

She flopped on the bed, and Tremor proceeded to leap up and sit on her back. If they think they've won, they've got another -

Someone pounded on the door. She blinked, and the noise repeated.

"What?" she demanded waspishly.

"It's me," Tourian said, voice muffled. "We need to talk."

She sat up, dumping a Tremor unceremoniously on the bed. "Come in - I didn't lock it."

The door creaked open, and Tourian hit the lights on his way in. Flurry blinked in the sudden glare, crossing her arms defensively.

"Listen," he began. "I know you're mad at me, probably for not speaking up. But now they think I'm gonna talk some sense into you."

"You mean you're not?" She sounded surprised.

"'Course not," he said dismissively. "But I think I know how we can follow them." He paused. "Flurry, this may not mean as much to me as it does to you, but we're here. And we should finish what we started."

She nodded slightly. "But how? I mean - they are undoubtedly going to take those idiot hoverbikes, and -"

"We have our own!" Tourian said suddenly, nodding enthusiastically.

"Huh. News flash, Tourian," she said sarcastically. "Mine's scrap metal out in the forest! Remember that?"

"Oh." He stopped, frowning in thought. "We can both ride mine!"

"You're crazy, Tourian! Those things handle bad enough without two passengers!" She jumped to her feet in the middle of her tirade. "If you think I'm gonna -"

Tourian looked at her steadily. "Do you have a better idea?"

Her shoulders slumped. "You had to bring that up?"

\--

X glared from over the hoverbikes. "Zero, you're stupid if you think they aren't going to try something! You worked with her longer than I did and I could see that!"

His friend shrugged lamely. "I know she is. What I'm saying is -"

"You're saying we should LET them!" he howled. "You're crazy! Doc'd have our hides!"

"Aw, come on, X! Don't be so by-the-book!"

X groaned, turning away. "You're crazy - crazy!"

"No, I'm not. Let them follow us. At least we'll have cleared a path for them." He grinned. "They can handle whatever we leave behind - which isn't a whole lot, generally."

"All right," X said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "But if it comes up - it was your idea."

Zero shrugged. "Whatever you say. I don't think it's going to come up, personally."

If Flurry succeeds - keeps us alive - nobody's going to be answering to anything. They'll just go home. For an inexplicable reason, the thought stung. They'll just leave us here. Their future secure - who needs us, anymore. . . .

He shook his head. "Let's go, X."

\--

"Ryft!"

The green Reploid looked up slowly. Flurry was waving to him from down the hall. He nodded in return, and she ran forward, nearly breathless.

"Ryft - we need your help. Where are they keeping Zephyr?"

"Where are they keeping what?" His gaze shifted to Tourian, who was walking a little more slowly down the hall with a bird on his shoulder, a cat in his arms, and a dog dancing at his heels.

"Our time - our vehicle. They never told us where it is."

"Oh, that." He looked at her curiously. "I think it's in the transport bay. I'll take you there." I don't need to be at my transport until tomorrow.

\--

Zero eased back on the throttle, wondering why X was so slow in following him. They wouldn't be heading for the base until tomorrow, giving them the chance to check out the bikes, run a few diagnostics, and generally get prepared for the battle.

He'd never left X this far in his dust before, and he was about to swing around and look for him, when his radio crackled. Lovely, he thought drily.

"What's the matter, X," he asked after thumbing the radio on, "did you get lost?"

"No, Zero. I was just wondering where you wandered off to." He sounded kind of tense, a little lost.

"Anything wrong, buddy?"

"No. Not really. I'm just wondering about this mission - is it really going to be the last?"

"If we play it right," Zero said reassuringly. "And we'll be out of a job," he added cheerfully.

X chuckled. "Yeah - I guess we could join the police force."

"Ri-i-ight." Zero looked around thoughtfully. "I guess I'm about a mile off the ordinary road," he estimated. "I'll be back with you in a few minutes."

The radio signal cut off, and Zero swung his bike back around.

\--

Flurry stared incredulously at the machine that she had known as Zephyr.

"Ryft - what did you do to it?"

The Reploid frowned slightly. "I didn't do anything to it. Doc Cain said it'd be a good idea to put some wheels on it. You know, make it mobile."

"I don't see any wheels," Tourian said, somewhat sullen. He didn't like people messing around with Kreyin's inventions - neither did Kreyin himself, but he wasn't here.

Ryft laughed heartily. "We put repulsors on it - like the bikes. This ought to handle better that those, too," he said thoughtfully.

Flurry frowned, suddenly deep in thought, and yanked Tourian aside. She pulled him down to her level and muttered something in his ear. His mouth twitched doubtfully, and she slammed her fist into her palm. He finally shrugged, and Ryft simply pretended he hadn't seen the exchange. Whatever they were up to, it was none of his business.

Flurry walked over to Ryft and patted his arm with a sweet smile. "Thank you, Ryft. You've been very helpful."

"Uh, sure," he said slowly. "Listen - I need to head to my transport. See you guys later, okay?"

"Absolutely," Tourian said quickly, and Flurry bit her lip.

Ryft hustled out of the room and into the hall, trying not to wonder what they were doing. If nothing else because he already had a pretty fair idea.

\--

"Tourian, why do I have to ride the hoverbike?"

Tourian glared at her. "Because you're lighter than I am, and because you know the area better than me."

She came close to screaming at him. "Tourian - I hate those things! It's not fair!"

"I never said I was fair - I'll follow in Zephyr, and we can haul out of there once we're done."

"I'm gonna hurt you, Tourian," she hissed.

"Not likely. Now, the attack's soon - tomorrow, probably. So we've got to - Flurry, what are you doing?"

She had stalked to the cargo area of Zephyr and seated herself, looking sullen. "I'm not moving from this vehicle, Tourian," she said stubbornly. "Just you try and make me."

Tourian sighed and gritted his teeth. "Don't make me do this, Flurry."

"Do what?" Her voice took on a sudden edge. "Tourian, don't touch me! TOURIAN!"

He took her neatly by the waist and lifted her gently off the ground. She kicked and squirmed, not at all gently.

"Tourian! Put me down! NOW!"

She screamed in terror as he tossed her neatly out the doorway. She rolled over once and tried to come to her feet, ready to kill. He shut the door neatly.

"I'm sorry, Flurry. You know what to do," he called to her from inside.

"Oh, you're sorry all right," Flurry hissed furiously, picking herself up off the floor. She glared around at the Reploids headed to their transports. They gazed back with a mix of unease and curiosity. "Don't you all have something better to do?" she asked nastily, turning on her heel.


	18. Hazard a Guess

Tourian tapped a couple of keys on Zephyr's console, muttering curiously. "That's all well and good, but how do you start it?" He flipped a switch and was amused to hear the vehicle rumble into life. "Okay. Now where's the steering wheel?"

He couldn't help smiling at himself. I'm taking a crash course in driving a vehicle that's never existed before - and I have about twelve hours to learn it.

The thought was actually somewhat sobering, and he frowned, concentrating on the controls he didn't recognize.

\--

Flurry tripped over Tourian's hoverbike and shrieked as she flopped forward, half on one side, half on the other. "You just don't like me!" she accused, getting to her feet.

She got to her feet, muttering rude things, when she heard two other bikes pull up. Startled, she darted down behind her bike, hoping she was small enough to hide there. I guess being short has its advantages.

"X, I thought we already went over this," Zero's voice snapped in annoyance. "Leave them alone."

"No! They shouldn't even be involved. I won't let them get killed -"

"Why are you so stuck on people getting killed? They can take care of themselves - you've already seen that!"

"Zero," X growled, drawing a deep breath, "We don't even know who they are. What makes you think we can trust them?"

Flurry's heart jumped into her mouth. The silence lasted forever. A few seconds, a few minutes, it was all the same to the diminutive robot crouched in hiding while the other two argued. Say something, Zero! she cried mentally.

"Call it a - hunch," he said finally, slowly.

"You're asking me to go on a hunch?"

"We've done that before, you know."

X heaved a deep sigh. "Yeah. I know."

She heard the sound of walking, and X muttered, "I'll drop it. It's their business."

Zero slapped his shoulder. "That's the spirit. Now, I just wish we could go get drunk."

"What?" Complete incomprehension.

Zero sighed. "Never mind."

Flurry rose carefully, gazing at her bike in sheer resignation. Even that rather jumpy moment was nothing compared to the torture of riding one of these things. All right, buddy. Let's see just what you can do.

\--

Tourian yelled. Again. "This sure isn't like Doc's truck!" he announced to the animals, and Ayrmin barked furiously. "I'm sorry, boy. I can't stop it - haven't figured out how!"

Jackdaw started shrieking obscenities, and Tremor sprawled in an undignified heap on the floor.

Tourian was grinning. "This is better than Doc's truck - I love it!"

Zephyr was hovering about a foot off the ground, cruising at the middling speed of ninety-seven mph. She handled superbly - boy, was Flurry going to hate him - and everything appeared to be intact. Even the time machine part of it. Tourian's grin faded. Flurry, you and your stupid crusades. I just hope this one doesn't get us both killed.

"Okay, guys, I'm gonna punch up the speed a little."

Tremor yowled miserably.

Then, there was a crackle of static. "What?" Tourian was disgusted. "Doc never put a radio in here." He tapped it on. "Whaddya want?"

"We want," Zero said politely from the other end, "you to bring your machine back to the hangar. And we also want you and Flurry to get your butts to FLEER." He paused. "We need to talk."

Tourian made a face. "Sure. Fine. Whatever."

The silence on the other end of the transmission grew slightly threatening. "Listen, buddy," Zero said flatly. "Do you and Flurry want to pull off what you're trying to pull off?"

"'Zat a threat?" Tourian asked.

"No. A warning. Get back here, pronto." The radio went dead.

Tourian sighed, switching it off. "Go ahead. Ruin my morning."

\--

Flurry screamed furiously. "I can't get the stupid thing to turn without ripping hedges, Tourian! I'm not coming back yet!"

"Flurry," he said reasonably, "X and Zero want to have a talk - so GET BACK HERE!"

Flurry slammed the brakes viciously. "Tourian, I'm gonna turn you inside out. Don't order me around!"

She heard a low groan. "Maybe you shouldn't come back, after all. Go slam the bike into a tree. That'll fix your temper - won't it?"

She took a deep breath. "Tourian. They can wait for me. I've got better things to do than go to their little impromptu meetings."

"Fine. You can tell them that."

"Huh? What's that supposed to -" She jumped, startled, when Zero broke in.

"You know," he said conversationally, "we do outrank you. If you don't get back here, we'll get you back. Take your pick."

"Are you threatening me?"

He made a disgusted noise. "Why are you guys so stuck on threats? If you want a threat, I can give you one."

"Shut up," Flurry sniffed. "I'm coming back."

She switched her radio off before anyone could respond. Growling her annoyance to the uncaring forest, she put the bike in gear and jammed back to Hunter HQ.


	19. (Un)Likely Allies

Flurry jogged hurriedly up the hall to the computer they called FLEER, swearing softly under her breath. Despite her bluster and temper over the radio, she wasn't looking forward to a confrontation with X and Zero. She respected them both, and she really didn't want to have to work behind their backs, but if she had to. . . .

The door swung open almost before she reached it. She stared, startled, at Zero, who gestured for her to get inside.

"Right," he muttered, shutting the door. "Okay, now that you're both here, there are some things we need to get straight."

Flurry tensed, darting over to Tourian and looking up at him questioningly. He shook his head, grimacing. They hadn't told him anything.

Zero actually looked somewhat annoyed at having to go through with this. "I was just going to let you hatch whatever plot you came up with. I don't really care, as long as you don't get in my way. But X, here, decided we need to coordinate." He rolled his eyes. "I'll let him explain."

X gave him a dirty look. "I just think this'll work better if we know what's going to happen!"

Flurry smiled shakily. Tourian grunted, skeptical. Zero gritted his teeth, slapping his palm disgustedly against the wall. X lifted an eyebrow.

"What don't I know here?" he asked flatly.

Zero laughed, utter disgust and bitterness tinging his tone. "Oh, yeah - I forgot to tell you," he informed his friend. "We're supposed to die on this mission."

X gaped, and Tourian spun on Flurry, who yelped and backed against the wall.

"What did you tell him -?" Tourian howled, furious.

"Nothing I didn't tell Dr. Cain," she screamed back, crossing her arms defensively.

X shook his head. "Die?" He grinned suddenly. "Get real."

Flurry gazed sadly at him. "We're telling you the truth, X. You didn't have to know." She walked past Tourian, who leaned wearily against the wall. "We're from the future - as you may or may not have guessed. And we happen to know that you and Zero both die tomorrow." Her eyes shifted to Zero, who was slouched against the wall, face and expression shaded by his helmet. "We came to keep that from happening." Her eyes grew frustrated. "Whatever happens, robots can't go extinct. It'll destroy everything!"

"Robots won't go extinct just because two of us die," X said reasonably, not quite coming to grips with what she had told him. "I mean, Hunter HQ is still gonna be around - the other Hunters will carry on!" He stopped, staring at her. "We're going to die?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. "Let's just forget the whole thing, okay?" She walked toward the door. "Me and Tourian - we'll just hop back in Zephyr and go home. To whatever home is, anyway." She shrugged. "Who knows how bad we've wrecked the timeline already?"

"It's too late now." Tourian looked up at her, smiling coolly.

She turned.

"It was too late when we took out those techs. It was too late when we climbed into Zephyr and hit the switch."

She closed her eyes.

"We carry through now, Flurry. We work something out with these guys - and we finish what we started."

A slight tilt of the head.

Tourian turned to the other two, who had watched the entire exchange in utter befuddlement.

"So, what can we do?"

"Uh -" X turned to Zero, lifting his hands in a helpless gesture.

"Er -"

Flurry glared at them. "Oh, for crying out loud!" She stomped over to Zero and jabbed him fiercely in the chest. "You let us trail along - get it? We keep you out of trouble - get it?"

Zero bent double laughing. "You - keep us - out of trouble?"

He cut off abruptly when Flurry took him by the chin and drew his face up level with hers. She smiled sweetly.

"Watch me."

She released him with a shove and turned on her heel, not bothering to watch him stumble backwards. X covered a grin with his hand, and Tourian snickered.

"So," Flurry said thoughtfully, dropping the whole thing, "since we're collaborating on this - have any suggestions?"

\--

Tourian glanced over Zephyr's controls, smiling cheerfully. The "new" plan was a great deal like the old one. He and the animals trail neatly along behind in the Zephyr, and Flurry jaunted up with them on the bike. The only difference there was that they knew she was with them.

And that he was following.

And that Dr. Cain couldn't know anything about it.

He patted the console familiarly. "Have a good rest, Zephyr," he said, "we've got a busy day ahead."

\--

Flurry glowered and stomped. She sniffed haughtily, glowered and stomped some more. Of all the luck! Stupid, stupid machines!

The hoverbike sat impassive, taking no note of her.

"You," she hissed softly, "had better perform tomorrow - or we're both gonna be twisted metal by the side of the road! And it'll be all your fault!"

She stalked away, nose in the air.

The bike sat impassive, taking no note of her.

\--

"You know, X," Zero remarked, "I'm beginning to see why you thought this was a bad idea."


	20. History Rewritten

Ryft settled into his seat, passing a cursory glance over the roster for his transport. He nodded slowly. There were good Hunters on the list. Very good Hunters. He ran a couple of diagnostics on the transport - and on himself - before settling in to wait for the rest of the troops.

One by one, in groups of two or more, as a mass of unfamiliar faces, they all arrived. Each took a seat and stayed there in silence, keyed up for the battle ahead and waiting for a chance to prove themselves. Once enough of them were there for him to worry about, Ryft gave a quick command through the speaker system.

"Everybody check in with the computer. I don't plan to leave anyone behind on this mission."

Grunts and chuckles of amusement greeted his statement. It wasn't particularly funny, but they needed something to break the tension. Ryft leaned forward, watching the check-ins scroll up on the screen.

Linda Torus, human - 5th Division, age thirty-two.

Oryn, Reploid - 3rd Division, operating two years.

Tallu, Reploid - Base Squad, operating six months.

Randall Tucker, human - 7th Division, age twenty-seven.

Crash, Reploid - 3rd Division, operating three years, eight months.

The list went on, accounting for all but a third of the Hunters assigned to his transport by the time he finished going through it. He regarded the names silently.

Riptide, Reploid - Long Patrol, operating five years.

Jake Lambert, human - 6th Division, age forty.

Each and every one was prepared to give his or her life for a cause new or old, for the lives of people they'd never known. More names scrolled up as others arrived.

Sari Tandin, human - Base Squad, age eighteen.

Wraith, Reploid - 6th Division, operating ten weeks.

Ryft sat up slowly. Almost everyone had arrived. He leaned back, lost in thought. X and Zero had left and hour earlier, determined to check the place out before anyone else arrived. Ryft really didn't resent that, but they'd been so secretive about taking off. It was another hour before the transports were supposed to head out, even though everyone was required to get there at least a half-hour before departure.

Cal Talbroun, human - Long patrol, age twenty-one.

He pulled up a map of the area around the Maverick base.

Trell, Reploid - 2nd Skyhunters, operating one year.

It was going to be a long march, even with the impressive speed of the bulky vehicles.

Isabel Mejia, human - 5th Division, age thirty.

The hoverbikes would make it hours before the transports.

Thom Seris, human - 3rd Division, age thirty-five.

Closing his eyes, Ryft wondered if X and Zero would have the patience to wait for their battle.

\--

Flurry grumbled, falling back a bit from X and Zero. The two were engaged in a lively spell of banter, and she needed to think. She had just begun to form a plan, after a fashion, for keeping them alive, when her radio buzzed into life.

"Flurry!" Zero said urgently, "Where are you?"

Her head shot up to see that he and X had parked their bikes by the side of the path. At the sight of her expression, they burst into hysterical laughter. Her mouth quirked slightly; she refused to lose her temper.

"We lost sight of you an hour ago!" X cried, "Where have you got to?"

She smiled stubbornly, pulling her bike up beside them. "Don't you gentlemen know it's rude to accost a lady in such a fashion?" she asked pleasantly.

Zero snorted. "I don't see any lady," he grinned. "Do you, X?"

X made a show of looking around. "Nope. Not a one."

Flurry kicked her bike back in gear, leaning coolly forward over the controls and letting her hair spill over her shoulder. "I have one thing to say to you two," she said, voice going honey-sweet. "EAT my DIRT!"

And her bike shot forward, spraying them liberally with the very dirt she had described.

After they finished spitting dust out of their mouths, they sprang to their own bikes and sped after her.

"Hey, Flurry," Zero yelled into his radio, catching sight of her on the road ahead, "is that some kind of challenge?"

"There's more than one kind of challenge?" she retorted.

X laughed. "All right! Then it's a race!"

Raucous cries echoed through the forest that bordered the dirt path, frightening any number of small animals.

Flurry zig-zagged madly, nearly clipping Zero when he came up too close on the left.

"Outta my way!" he shouted.

"Try and pass me!"

"I'll take care of you both!" X roared as his bike sailed over both of them, smacking down onto the road in front of Flurry.

"Hey, how'd you do that?" she asked.

Zero grinned, pulling forward, just behind X. Flurry moved beside him.

"Well," she insisted, "how!"

He shrugged. "You build up enough speed, you jump, and you fly!"

"Oh."

He barely noticed her fall back again, until he heard a wild shriek from behind him.

"What the -"

"Yee-hah!"

X growled. "You had to tell her that?"

She came down a bit more gracefully, boosting her repulsors and dropping them bit by bit. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, smirking. "I win."

\--

Tourian shifted uneasily in his seat. He was a half-hour behind Flurry and the others, cruising at about one-twenty. He resisted the urge to radio them, following a more round-about route to the same place they were going.

Ayrmin barked absently from the back, watching Tremor and Jackdaw tussle. Tourian ignored them and tapped up a map of the general area. He frown silently, studying it.

It seemed familiar, somehow. The feel of the terrain, the general location - even the feeling in the air. Maybe he was just remembering the tension of having the Company come to visit. Or maybe I'm just going crazy.

Light spattered occasionally through the trees, glinting off Zephyr's hood and catching the dirt that her passage raised.

\--

Zero's bike skidded to a halt beside a ridge overlooking an empty gash in the forest. The trees stopped, baring a lifeless scar of earth to the sky. Flurry gazed quietly at the reddish earth, and from there to the city - or what was left of a city. She blinked. It was awfully familiar.

Zero and X were discussing something - reporting in to the base. She looked at them uneasily.

"Is that such a good idea?" she asked them. "They're down there."

X shrugged her off and went to the bike. Zero looked at her suddenly. "Better keep back, Flurry. He doesn't know you're here."

She tilted her head. "Duh."

He grinned, wandering over to where X was standing.

Flurry looked down the ridge again. There didn't appear to be any signs of life. At all. Empty, ancient buildings. They must have stood in that place, taking up space - forever. She backed up slowly.

"Uh, guys."

Zero glanced up, slapped X on the shoulder and walked away. "What is it? And keep it down. He's still on the line."

She pointed to the ruined city. "That's where it happened," she said softly.

"Where what happened?"

"The Third Discovery - that's where Kreyin found - finds - your idiot schematics, his idiot schematics, that's where it starts!" She frowned. "But there was less of it. . . ."

He shrugged. "Relax. Hey, X! You done yet?"

"Yeah. Hang on." X walked over with a slight frown on his face. "He says they won't be here for another six hours."

Zero grunted noncommittally. Flurry glanced at them nervously.

"Tourian - when's he going to get here?"

"Radio him and find out," X said.

Flurry glanced at him and walked silently over to her bike, hands clasped behind her. She was not at all happy. X and Zero could never wait around for six hours for the others to come. As she walked, she heard them talking.

"Looks pretty well-established," Zero muttered. "But it doesn't look like they have much in the way of fortification."

"They'll have something, for sure," X answered him, crossing his arms. "They always do."

Flurry tapped the radio on. "Tourian - Tourian, answer me."

"Yo!" Her companion's face appeared in the screen. "It's about time. Where are you?"

"We're at the base," she said soberly. "Tourian, you'd better get here quick. The others aren't coming for another six hours."

Tourian stared. "Six hours!" He lowered his voice. "They'll never wait that long."

Flurry glanced over at the two uneasily. "Hurry up, Tourian. I'd better go."

He nodded. "A half-hour. At the most." And he signed off.

She turned to X and Zero. "He'll be here in a half-hour." You can wait that long, can't you?

\--

As a matter of fact, they waited four hours. Tourian arrived just as he said, and he told the animals to stay in the Zephyr. Out of sheer boredom, he and Flurry started playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt, while Zero paced and X sat down, appearing to drop into a snooze.

Flurry had notched up her two thousand three hundred fifty-third win when Zero called out quietly. "Guys. Something's going on."

\--

Ryft checked the coordinates of the Maverick base against their course and tapped in a minor change. So far, so good. Dr. Cain had reported that X and Zero were holding position, waiting for them to come.

He opened up a signal to the other four transports. "We should reach the base in another two hours. X and Zero were told to stay put, and they appear to be doing so."

"Yeah?" Transport Two retorted. "How long is that going to last?"

"Oh, can it," snapped a female voice from the fourth transport. "Bad enough we have to do this at all."

"Cut the chatter," growled Transport Five. "We've got a lot of work ahead."

Ryft nodded. "I'll notify you again at the hour - you know the drill."

"Hey, Ryft!" called someone from the back. "What's the deal? We've been sitting here for four hours already - isn't there an in-flight movie?"

"Are we flying?" Ryft replied acidly.

"No!" said somebody else. "We're crawling, that's what. Can't you punch up the speed?"

"Quit whining, Jenny," muttered yet another voice. "You weren't complaining when you were winning the game."

"Oh, right, like chess is so great."

"What a bunch of babies - don't you humans ever stop complaining?"

"Hey!" Ryft said sharply. "Who said that?"

Dead silence.

"Answer me."

Somebody sucked in a deep breath. "I did."

"Name and division."

"Ryco. Skyhunter One."

"When you return to base, report to your Division head for disciplinary actions."

"I am the Division head," Ryco said darkly.

"Then you report to me," Ryft snapped. "And anyone else - human or robot - who feels the need to express his feelings on the other species may report to me also."

There was a muted "Yes, sir" and Ryft turned back to his display.

Fighting like children. How can we defeat the enemy, if we can't even control our own bad feelings?

"Ryft, sir?" It was Ryco.

"What is it?" He kept his voice carefully in control.

"What if we don't get back?"

"Then you can report to the devil."

\--

Flurry gazed nervously around at the mess. And what a mess. The burnt-out bodies of a couple dozen Mavericks lay scattered around, smoking or spitting sparks. All three hoverbikes were completely ruined and more than completely beyond repair.

X and Zero were arguing. Yelling and waving their arms at each other. Threatening, snapping, and generally being rude.

She rolled her eyes. "Hey - HEY!" They looked at her. "Both of you, shut up!"

Tourian sauntered over beside her, kicking a chunk of metal out of his way.

"What are you fighting about?" she asked.

They continued to look at her.

"Hello-o! Answer the question."

"I think," Tourian remarked, scuffing his boots in the dirt, "they were discussing what to do - now that we've decimated the forces out here and announced our presence for five miles around." He glanced up. "Am I right?"

Zero glared at him. "Well, don't ask me! Ask the genius here what's going on!"

"Shut up, Zero," X said absently.

"Shut up, Zero," Zero mimicked, "Shut up Zero - what am I? Some sort of dog?"

"Down boy!" Flurry commanded, roaring with laughter.

"Oh, shut up."

"Aah, shut down yourself."

X glared at them both. "Listen, they know we're here - for sure." He glanced over at one of the buildings. "I just want some sort of strategy for what we're going up against! None of us know what's in there."

"Fine!" Zero barked sharply. "You can think up a stinking strategy, blue boy, while I go in there and take out Vile and Sigma!"

"Who?" Flurry asked.

"Who what?"

"Vile and Sigma. Who are they?"

"You don't know?" X sounded surprised.

"Well, I've heard of Sigma - who's the other?"

"Vile?" Zero asked mildly. "He's the guy who killed me. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Never mind that," X interjected quickly.

"I have a strategy," Tourian said thoughtfully.

Flurry lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

"I do," he said defensively. "It involves getting inside one of those buildings before anything else happens."

"I guess that's as good an idea as any," Zero said immediately. "Let's go."

X looked weary. "All right."

Flurry tossed her head, glad that they had decided something, and walked toward one of the buildings. X and Zero walked directly behind her, and Tourian took the rear position, absently gazing at the building they were headed into. Zero looked at it, too, intently.

As she walked, Flurry shifted her shoulders briefly, squinting up at the structure she approached. Tourian and Zero seemed to find it utterly fascinating, though she couldn't figure why. They had stopped a few feet back, muttering to each other. X turned around.

"I thought you wanted to go in there," he snapped, almost spitefully, "What are you waiting for?"

Zero ignored him, and Tourian pointed up at the top of the building silently. Zero grabbed his arm and jerked it down fiercely.

"Walk forward," he said flatly, "Slowly."

His voice was filled with such firm, almost urgent, command, they all did as he said without thinking twice. Even X.

"On my mark," he continued. "RUN!"

Flurry shot forward, hearing a thundercrack above her as she ran. She felt someone shove her between the shoulder blades, causing her to lose her balance. She snatched hold of someone's arm, pulling him down with her as she pitched forward into the dirt. After a moment, she got to her feet, seeing X and Zero crouched nearby. They were gazing steadily at a huge patch of scorched ground back behind them.

"Gaw," Tourian muttered. "That could've been us."

"Run!" Zero barked again, and they bolted for the entrance.

Flurry looked back as she entered the doorway. Two new burnt patches darkened the earth where they had just been sitting.

"Let's go," X said, voice perfectly steady, even though his insides weren't.

X took the lead, and Zero walked just behind him. Flurry moved up next to him.

"You pushed me - right?"

He nodded brusquely, concentrating on something else.

"Thank you. Don't do it again."

His mouth curved into a faint smile, but he didn't say anything.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, noting his tendency to look everywhere at once and back again. "The creature from the black lagoon?"

He didn't answer her. "X," he said instead, "This place is a tomb. Where is everyone?"

X looked momentarily anxious. "Dunno. Maybe they finally decided that all that extra metal wasn't worth it." He brushed his fingers against the wall, running them over rough scars of ancient battles and heat-scorched sections that had melted to slag. He shrugged. "Seems like a pretty straightforward place, if you ask me."

"What are you talking about?" Flurry asked impatiently.

"Sigma usually has his forts swarming with critters whose only joy in life is attacking intruders." X shrugged again. "Let's move."

Zero didn't reply; he started off down the hall.

\--

Flurry yawned. They'd been walking for what felt like hours, and she felt her tolerance for the three gentlemen she was walking with wane with every step. X jogged ahead up the hall and whistled sharply for them to come. Probably another lift. I'm getting so-o-o sick of those things. But she went along anyway, catching Tourian's hand and leaning wearily against him.

"You'd think that saving our world would be a little more exciting," she murmured teasingly.

"Oh, it'll get exciting," Zero snapped, hearing her. "Real exciting. Just shut up and wait for it."

"I wasn't talking to you," she growled.

Tourian ruffled her hair. "I don't really care about excitement anyway."

She sighed. "I just wish I was home."

"Yeah. You and everybody else."

X was leaning boredly on the railing of the predicted lift, holding his hand over the activation button. Zero boarded, with Tourian and Flurry right behind him. Flurry sank to the floor, crossing her legs as they rose up into the dark recesses of the empty Maverick base.

\--

Ryft slapped his communications link fiercely, "T-2, did you get those energy readings?"

"Yeah," the Reploid in charge of the second transport rumbled. "That's gotta be one heck of a gun."

"Lead," called in T-3, "what in God's name was that?"

"Not sure," Ryft replied. "We'd better be ready for it, though."

"T-4 reporting in, sir. Are we headed toward that?"

"Yes," Ryft said flatly, "we are. T-5, are your readings any better than ours?"

"No, sir. That sucker practically fried our sensors."

Ryft nodded slowly, considering. "All troops," he said firmly. "I want everybody to get out and in formation a mile out from the target. T-2, T-3, you try to take out that gun, and the rest of us will form up a barrier."

"Yes, sir."

"Lead, this is T-5. Any ideas on the range of that thing?"

Ryft restrained a sigh. "No. We'll just have to feel our way through this one."

\--

Zero lifted his saber up, the glowing light casting shadows down the pitch-black hallway ahead. Flurry shuddered at the dark. The second they were off the lift, they were in total darkness. None of them could see a thing. And the lift had disappeared back the way it came.

"Must be some sort of - I don't know," Tourian muttered. "Kreyin would know. But I don't. We should be able to see. What's the point of robotic vision if you can't see down a dark hall?"

"Shut up, Tourian," Flurry grumbled. "Zero, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see down there," he snapped.

She sniffed. "Idiot." She raised her hand carefully, almost flinching away from it, but the destructive whip of energy remained tucked away. Instead, a gentle glow filled her hand, lighting a great deal of the area around her.

"Will that do?" she asked, mouth twitching with amusement.

He switched his saber off disgustedly and tucked it away. "Everybody just knows better than me today - is that it?"

"Don't take it personally," she teased, walking forward.

The hallway was very clean, she noted absently. For some reason, it seemed odd that creatures so - evil - would keep a clean house. Her steps didn't falter, even as it became increasingly clear that the corridor ended with a wall. Nothing else, just a wall. As she reached it, she dropped her hand, keeping the energy, and rapped against it with her other fist.

"Hello-o! Anybody home?" she shouted sarcastically.

"Shut up, Flurry," Tourian hissed.

Regarding her gravely, Zero tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, and he pointed upwards. She glanced in that same direction and found herself staring at a huge hole - in the ceiling. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"How do we get up there?" Tourian asked mildly.

X started, blinking at them. "We jump," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Flurry gazed at him steadily.

He rolled his eyes. "Watch."

In a blur of blue, he was up in the air and clinging to the wall. Flurry winced. But he wasn't finished. With all the ease of an animal born to rock-climbing, he moved up the wall with a jump-kick motion that Flurry and Tourian simply couldn't fathom.

"Um, what if we can't do that?" she asked politely.

X jumped back down, landing on the floor with a clang that echoed down the hall. "Got any rope?"

"Lemme check my pockets," Flurry said, heavily sarcastic.

"Anybody mind if I beat my head on a wall?" Zero asked wearily.

"Be my guest!" Flurry practically yelled.

Tourian was gazing curiously up, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It doesn't look that hard, Flurry. We should give it a try."

"Yeah," Zero laughed. "We'll catch you if you fall."

Flurry sniffed, wondering if she could make the jump to the hole, much less climb the smooth, featureless walls. Sighing mentally, she readied herself to try the jump - and take her counterpart's hysterical laughter when she missed by a bare inch. Without thinking, she sprang as high as she could - and felt the wall slide neatly behind her hand. Suddenly grim, she mimicked X's wall jump.

And leaped partway up the wall. She restrained a delighted giggle. Uncertain that she could repeat her performance, she kept going, ignoring Tourian's shout for her stop.

"Oh, let her go," Zero grinned. "Your turn, mister 'doesn't look that hard.'"

Tourian's efforts met with equal success, and they propelled themselves up the wall as if they'd been doing such things forever. X and Zero grinned at each other and followed them up.

Upon reaching the top, Flurry and Tourian looked around, pacing the perimeter of the hole out of sheer boredom. X stuck his head up over the edge, glancing about before jumping out. He took one look at the place and started laughing.

"Hey, Zero - Sigma's reminiscing." He pointed off into the shadows.

Zero, who had just jumped out of the hole himself, followed his hand and blinked. "Geez, that's original."

Flurry cocked her head. "What is it?"

"A warp. A transporter. I don't think they really have a name."

Tourian frowned. "Transporter? Where's it going to transport us?"

Zero gave him a thin smile. "Wherever Sigma wants us to go."

"We will all go to the same place - won't we?" Flurry asked uncertainly, watching X walk over to it and rest his hand on the bottom pad.

"I don't know that, either," X said quietly. "This one's had a lot of traffic. All recent. Two different locations."

Flurry's expression was incredulous. "How do you know that?"

"Residual traces of the ones transported."

Tourian made a face. "You mean part of you stays behind?"

Zero grimaced. "I knew I didn't like those things for a reason."

"No," X said, rising, "none of you gets left behind, but there's a signature - a reading of what was transported." He shrugged.

Tourian's face was skeptical, but Flurry smiled politely. "So, now what?" she asked him.

He shrugged again. "We go through. And hope we all go to the same place."

Zero gave a feral smile, hefting his lightsaber. "I wouldn't worry about that."

"I'll go through first," X volunteered.

"As if there was another way to do this," Zero said sarcastically. "I'll wait until last. I hate those things." Besides, it won't do to have those two pop up in the middle of a mad battle without backup coming.

X nodded in agreement and stepped onto the pad. Flurry made as if to follow him, but Tourian stopped her, shaking his head. Annoyed, she stepped back and let him take the lead. Zero watched them, arms folded. Man, I hate those things. Never work the way they're supposed to anyway.

As Tourian faded away, Flurry flipped her hair over her shoulder. She had taken it out of the braid a day ago, but she was beginning to wonder if she hadn't better tie it back out of her way or something. She didn't have a helmet, like Zero. Wearily shrugging those thoughts off, she stepped onto the transporter, waving at Zero before she disappeared.

Zero gazed at her in silence until she was gone. Resignation showing on his face, he stepped onto the machine himself, and the room faded before him.

A shriek of terror met his ears as he rematerialized, and Flurry collided with him in a rush to get back on the transporter. As a result, they both tumbled over backwards, but Flurry got off of him before he had the chance to make a snide remark. Her hands were shaking, and she was looking around wildly.

"What?" he asked her softly. "Where are X and Tourian?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. They aren't here. But something else is!" She pointed off at a pair of bright lights in the dark room.

"Huh?" said an unfamiliar voice. "You aren't the ones we were expecting - aren't there supposed to be more of you?"

"Garn!" roared another, and Flurry flinched back. "I don' care how many there were s'posed ta be! Kill 'em now!"

Zero backed up a step. "Hoo boy."

Flurry looked at him. "What - who are they?"

"You idiot," said the first voice, "why must you always resort to violence first? We should wait for the others."

Flurry couldn't stop a whimper, and Zero pulled her back. The voices in the room took no notice.

"They're the other Mavericks. I knew there had to be something else." His mouth twisted bitterly. "I was supposed to go with X!" He cursed furiously. "This is where they were sending the reinforcements - even if they did get past -" He lifted his head sharply, and Flurry felt herself go pale.

"That gun," she mourned softly.

\--

Ryft roared out a curse as another shot rocked the transport. "T-2! Can you get that thing? T-2!"

"Sorry, sir." T-2 sounded flustered. "There doesn't seem to be a target!"

"What's that supposed to mean! It's shooting at us - something's up there!"

As a matter of fact, it was shooting everywhere. Ryft had realized earlier that X and Zero had already headed in. But this confirmed it. No remains, and that gun was firing like crazy. The troops on the ground were taking heavy losses. He forced his transport forward, trying to draw the gun's fire away from the fighters.

He heard screams and shouts, saw blood and worse covering the ground. Human, Reploid, Maverick. Dead, all the same. The transport shuddered, and he heard a sound he dreaded hearing. An incredible explosion shattered the air, as one of the transports, T-5, exploded, taking many the fighters with it. A few of them had reached the shelter of the buildings, but only a few, and several of them were badly wounded, even dying. He pushed his transport harder.

"Lead!" T-4 screamed. "There's no way we can stop it! We've gotta -"

The transmission became static, and T-4 erupted in flames.

Ryft's face grew grim. "T-2, T-3, form up next to me. We're gonna ram it."

"Sir - what about -"

"Shut up and do it, T-3!"

The three transports ran as one at the building, taking heavy fire from the gun - whatever it was. T-2 was the first to go. The transport tried to veer away at the last second, right before the explosion shattered her cockpit and gutted her. Ryft held his vehicle as steady as he could as the shock wave rolled over her. T-3 made a small noise of despair, and Ryft told him to shut up.

They were two hundred meters from the structure and closing fast. "Punch up the speed." Ryft tapped a couple of keys on the console, watching the approaching building with a certain detachment. The knowledge of impending death. It was actually rather odd, knowing for certain that he was going to die. And humans lived with it all their lives.

T-3 called out suddenly, "Lead, I've got damage to my engines - she can't take much more of this!"

"Keep coming!" Ryft ordered harshly.

"I -"

"Don't question me!"

The explosion of T-3 slammed Ryft's transport so hard he wasn't sure he had survived it. And I'm alone. He smiled, punching the speed up another notch. The engines whined in protest. Good luck, Zero, X. I guess you were better off on your own. He felt the transport shudder violently.

Alarms went off all around him. Fires were starting in the back, near the engines. The sound of tearing metal reached his ears. It's about time I died. About time.

The hulk of metal that had been the lead transport smoked silently a bare fifty meters away from the building. The Reploid inside smiled almost peacefully as the final explosion tore him apart.

The gun stopped firing.

And nothing moved out on the bloody battlefield.

\--

Tourian stepped out of the transporter, utterly surprised at the sight that greeted his eyes. X was caught in some sort of field, and a purple robot was standing nearby, laughing at him. When he caught sight of Tourian, the laughter stopped.

"You're not Zero."

"No," Tourian said slowly, lifting an eyebrow at him.

"Zero was supposed to come through next - Sigma!" the robot bellowed furiously.

Tourian took the moment to dart over to X. The robot's teeth were clamped together, holding in a scream of pain. Scanning the field, he could see no way to deactivate it. Blast. Why couldn't I pay more attention to things? But suddenly the field was gone, and X was crouched on the floor, breathing heavily.

"What's the deal, Sigma?" the other robot was snarling. "Zero was supposed to -"

"Well, Vile," came a peculiarly unpleasant voice from a viewscreen across the room, "obviously he didn't."

Tourian helped X to his feet, looking at the others nervously. "Who are they, X?"

"Vile," he muttered in reply, "Sigma."

Tourian swallowed hard. I wish Zero and Flurry would hurry up.

Vile was shouting furiously at Sigma. "He's in there with the others - they're having all the fun! Zero was supposed to be mine!"

"On the contrary, Vile, you were simply to be his keeper until I can deal with him. Do you seriously think the others can handle him?"

X's face grew grim. "Flurry and Zero aren't going to get here anytime soon," he said quietly, regaining his strength. "They got transported somewhere else."

Tourian winced. "Will they be able to get here?"

X shrugged. "We have our own problems. Let them deal with theirs."

Vile turned to them. "You can take them, Sigma. I'm going after Zero." Without another word, he shoved past X and Tourian.

"Stay where you are, Vile."

He kept walking.

"Stop!" Sigma's voice thundered, vibrations shaking the walls.

Vile stopped, but he didn't turn around.

"I rarely have such problems with insubordination in you, Vile. Stay here. Zero will make his way to you soon enough."

Tourian flexed his hand nervously, and X tapped his shoulder.

"And when he does make his way to you, I have only one rule. Don't kill him."

Vile turned, and Tourian could feel the smirk emanating from underneath his helmet. "Right, Sigma. I'll stay here."

"Good." The face in the viewscreen shifted to X and Tourian. "Hmm. X, I didn't know you had a twin. I suppose he has the same ideas about humans as you do. Pity."

X grinned. "You'll have to ask him that, Sigma."

"Well, that can wait," Sigma replied dismissively. "You're both coming here. We can discuss this - face to face."

Tourian didn't have time to yell in surprise when the room faded around him.

\--

"I'll kill 'em now if ya don't -"

"Oh, be quiet. Perhaps we should see what the others think."

"Garn!"

Flurry shrank back. "How many?" she asked Zero softly.

"Dunno. A dozen less than there would have been, I'm betting," he said, thinking of the Mavericks they'd killed out in front of the complex. He held his saber in his hand, not igniting it. "Maybe you should give us a little light show so we can find out."

Flurry frowned. "Sure. Why not?" She slunk forward a couple of steps, feeling the energy gather in her arm. She let it gather, sensing Zero creeping just behind her. Then, in a blur of motion, she rose, thrusting both hands out in front of her.

The room burst into light, and startled yells burst from everywhere. Zero stared in disbelief. Lightning shot from Flurry's hands, searing whatever got in its way. More than one of the many Mavericks lay smoking as the light faded.

"Fifty. Take a few," he announced casually.

And lights sprang up all around them. Instantly, Flurry and Zero stood back-to-back, waiting for the attack to come.

"GARN!"

"Wish I'd gotten him," Flurry murmured.

"Now can we kill them?" another voice asked plaintively.

"I - believe that would be the proper course of action."

"Hey - Stormy!" Zero laughed. "You're as snooty as ever, buddy!"

"You!" the eagle-like Maverick yelped, gazing unbelievingly at Zero. "Well, Vile's not going to be too happy about this."

Zero didn't see much point in continuing the conversation. Two holes burned brightly in the Maverick's chest almost sooner than he'd finished his statement. An alligator, who'd been standing right next to the bird, brought his jaws together with a clash.

"Garn!" he shouted. "Kill 'em! Fight 'em, ya cowards!"

And the rest of the room surged forward. Flurry whipped out her saber, darting and leaping through the crush of Mavericks, lashing out occasionally with the lightning she held in her hand when they got too close. Zero brought his saber swinging down on the 'gator's head, satisfied when he burst apart in a startling explosion. Amazingly, there was little noise. Only the sounds of cannon-fire and the zings and booms of varying weapons peppered the air.

Flurry jumped backwards into a computer screen, stumbling a bit when she shattered the monitor. The attacking Maverick's jaw dropped, and he lunged at her, but she leaped aside, sending him crashing into the machine. Zero groaned mentally, praying it wasn't important.

The battle raged for what seemed like quite some time, but actually not that long. Flurry winced at the damage she had sustained. Zero growled at her in annoyance.

"Get real. You barely got scratched!" He cast a glance around the room, ignoring the smoking Mavericks and the equipment effectively destroyed in the fight. He tapped thoughtfully on a couple of keys at one of the working computer consoles. Flurry walked up beside him, gazing curiously at the screen.

"There's gotta be something to control the transport chamber," he muttered.

"Let me try," Flurry offered. "I know how to get around in a computer system."

"So do I," Zero said acidly. "What makes you think you'll get somewhere I won't?"

She smiled sweetly, patting his cheek. "Aw, Zero, you know I'm just nicer than you."

He gave her an ugly look, but he stepped aside without saying anything.


	21. Confrontations

Vile was bored.

For what felt like hours he'd been pacing in front of the transport capsule, waiting for Zero to figure out how the thing worked and get his butt back up here. He can't be that stupid. I've underestimated him before. He walked past the capsule again, glaring at it. Sigma, you just know everything, don't you? I want that guy dead - but you're so-o-o sure he can be converted. He spun on his heel and paced back in the other direction.

If Zero didn't show in the next five minutes, Vile was going after him. I'll bet he's doing this on purpose. He's killed all the others, and he's taking his time getting to me. For a moment, Vile was afraid. For less than a fraction of a second. It was more like a passing thought than an actual emotion. I wonder who else he's got with him.

Five minutes passed.

Glaring defiantly at the viewscreen so recently graced with Sigma's face, he stepped over to the transporter and left the room. He rematerialized in the hallway that led outside, grimacing unpleasantly at the hole in the floor. Sigma did always like those. Vile didn't see much point in them. He stepped back on the transporter.

\--

Zero snarled at Flurry. "Are you done yet? We don't exactly have all day."

"I'm getting there," she replied patiently, fingers dancing across the computer panel. "It'll take us straight to Sigma once we step back on it - and it randomizes from there, so no one can follow us."

"Um, Flurry," Zero said acidly, "everyone who could follow us is lying over there on the scrap heap." He made a sweeping gesture at the rest of the room, taking in what remained of the Maverick forces.

"Mm-hm."

"So why are you doing that!" he shouted at her, and she turned to him in astonishment.

"Doing what? Oh - randomizing the transports? Well, it's a security measure." She kept tapping, glancing at another screen. "It's the way I - hey!"

"What?"

"Someone's transporting - oh, blast it, that wrecks all my calcu-"

"Transporting where?" he overrode her, glaring at the screen, even though he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Well, here, of course." She frowned, a little more annoyed than anything else. "Maybe I can block -"

"Vile!"

"What?" She was almost ignoring him, trying to impede whoever was transporting into the room.

Zero stared at the transporter, hands clenching into fists. "It's gotta be him. Flurry - let him through."

She spun to face him, forgetting about her work at the keyboard. "Are you nuts? We need that transporter to take us to Sigma! We have to help X and Tourian!" Before the last words were out of her mouth, a figure materialized on the transport pad. She cocked her head curiously. The robot was taller than her, with purple armor - most unbecoming on him, too. His helmet was somewhat like a medieval visor. Or like Boba Fett. Either way, he didn't look incredibly friendly - a thought confirmed when Zero immediately opened fire on him.

Flurry shrieked in surprise and annoyance. "Zero - you dweeb! Get under cover!"

Naturally, he ignored her completely, totally absorbed with fighting the Maverick, who had darted from the transporter and was crouched behind one of the shattered Reploids, firing back. He did dart for cover, though, nursing a near-miss by the Maverick she decided must be Vile.

Flurry sprang back behind the computer, even though she knew she was perfectly safe. They were much to busy fighting each other to bother with her.

And then Vile got to his feet and stopped shooting. Zero paused momentarily, waiting to see the point of the interruption. Flurry peeked from behind the computer, a little nervous.

"Zero, there are better places for this."

Zero laughed scornfully. "Funny - I can't think of one."

"Oh, I can. An arena - built specifically for the two of us." Vile rolled his shoulders lazily, ready in case his ploy fell through. "It's somewhere in the fortress," he yawned, "We could walk. I suppose. But I can take us directly there."

"Get real," Zero said flatly. He had forgotten Flurry, who was staring in horror at the purple robot.

You can't do that! she objected mentally.

"How," Zero was continuing, "are you gonna do that?"

Vile laughed heartily. "It's a snap - so to speak." And he snapped his fingers, bringing meaning to the predictable pun.

Flurry could have howled in outrage as Zero and Vile vanished right in front of her. Without thinking twice, she jumped back over the computer, fingers flying madly in an attempt to track the beam.

"Come on, come on," she begged hopelessly as the computer's scanning and tracking devices fumbled about for the signal. "This has to work." She started to swear softly, hands moving faster than a human eye could track, but she finally leaned back, frustrated. "Well, if you can't trace it, can you maybe find the source?"

She leaned forward, tapping experimentally at a couple of keys.

"Bingo."

\--

X grabbed Tourian's arm and hauled him to the ground, barely managing to dodge a screaming shot of plasma. X got up slowly, grinning sardonically.

"That's no way to greet an old acquaintance, Sigma," he said flatly, gazing around.

Tourian got up and looked for himself. He couldn't see anything. He frowned, almost pouting, out of frustration. If he could just figure that darkness trick out, they could -

"Oh, that wasn't me, X," came a dry voice, "Terribly sorry. The security system is somewhat - overzealous." Sigma paused. "Hmm. You do look alike. An incredible resemblance."

X and Tourian went back-to-back automatically, circling lazily in the darkness. They could sense things, but their vision was nonexistent.

"Stop that," Sigma growled in annoyance. "I'm not going to attack you - yet."

They didn't waver.

A weary sigh, and lights came up.

Tourian looked around, distaste marking his expression. The room was gray. Gray, gray, gray. Not even varying shades of gray. And the lights themselves didn't help a bit. They cast reflections everywhere, and everything, including him, X and Sigma, was cast in a dull silver color. This fight was going to be a mess. X gazed directly at Sigma.

"Can we get on with this?"

Sigma looked surprised. "Well, I suppose. I thought we could talk things over first."

"Things?" X asked unpleasantly. "What things could we possibly have to discuss?"

"Your conversion, for one."

"Nothing there to discuss. There will be no conversion. Not by me or anybody else."

"I could argue that. But I won't."

Tourian shifted uneasily. Come on, Flurry. I can't do this all by myself.

X rolled his eyes. "Now that we're done -"

"Ah, but we aren't." Sigma's lip curled in a familiar sneer.

X paused, a sudden chill coursing through him. Tourian started. Something felt wrong. Something should have happened by now, and -

Sigma pointed easily at a viewscreen across the room. "Recognize any of what's left of that?" he asked.

X felt ill, and Tourian resisted the urge to retch.

"Yes, I see you do. Five full transports, right?" The viewscreen switched off, almost of its own accord. "They made a bit of a mess on my front lawn, X. But that's nothing that can't be dealt with later."

X could only stare at the deactivated screen, horror, loss, and pain beating about inside him. Tourian turned to Sigma.

"You're no good, man," he said flatly. "You know, you make me sick. And I've only known you for a few minutes."

"Yes, you even sound like him!" Sigma smiled coolly. "Well, X, even two of you can't defeat me. Not at this point."

X turned to him. "I don't need two of me to beat you, Sigma. You'll destroy yourself, eventually. If I had the time, I'd let you."

Tourian shifted his shoulders, wondering how long X and Sigma were planning to keep up their seemingly pleasant conversation.

"So," X said mildly, "did you kill them?"

Sigma chuckled. "Ah, you credit me with too much," he said coolly. "I merely programmed the gun. It killed them."

X's eyes seemed to grow blank, clouded with pain and weariness. "All those people - you killed them."

Sigma shifted in annoyance. "You have a one-track mind, X," he said, trying to sound amused through his irritation. "Is your twin the same way?" He turned to Tourian, smirking. "He seems to be a little less perturbed. So - what shall I call you? X2?" He laughed scornfully.

Tourian stepped forward, standing coldly straight, shoulders thrown back. "My name is Tourian," he said flatly, measuring the weight of each word. "I'm going to kill you."

X's head shot up, eyes clearing. "I'm going to kill you," he echoed, smiling grimly. "It ends here. You won't hurt anyone else."

"We shall see," Sigma remarked. "We shall most certainly see."

\--

Flurry swore, smashing her fist into the console of one of the broken computers. "Can you set up a random transport? Yes. Can you trace the source of the transport? Yes. Can you take me there? No!"

Shortly after her discovery of the location where Zero and Vile were currently fighting - at least, she assumed they were fighting - she discovered that the transporters couldn't transport her to a particular section of the floor, only to another transporter. She grumbled furiously.

"All right, you demented piece of junk, show me a layout of this building." The computer did respond to voice commands, but not when she called it a demented piece of junk. Sighing, she rephrased her request. "Computer, give me a layout of the building."

It bleeped, indicating that it was carrying out her request. A map sprang up on the screen.

"Okay, show me the source of that transport signal."

A light flickered. She frowned.

"Give me the locations of all transporters within a - fifty meter radius of the signal." She sighed when nothing appeared on the screen. "A hundred meters."

Two transporters flickered onto the screen.

She swore absently.

"Please repeat command," the computer said politely.

"Oh, can it," Flurry growled.

She sat down at the computer, jaw set. Neither of the transporters was near as close as she wanted them to be, but they would have to do. She set herself to reprogramming the things.

\--

Zero crouched down behind a charred piece of computer equipment, swearing to himself. He was having to do more dodging that fighting, and he hated being on the defensive. He glanced out around the former computer console and jerked back, away from the barrage of fire that followed his movement.

"Aw, come on out, Zero," Vile taunted scornfully. "Are you wimping out on me already?"

Zero didn't answer, looking around for some way to sneak up on the Maverick. Keep talking, Vile. He caught sight of a scaffolding that ran around the top of the room. Now, if I could just hit the light switch. He glanced around curiously. If I just knew where the light switch was.

He heard Vile walking toward him and cursed. Not much time.

"Hey, Zero - what do you think you're doing? You can't stay back there forever." The steps stopped. "Get out of there or I'll blast you to bits where you're sitting!"

Try it, Zero thought sarcastically. He decided that sneaking wasn't going to get him very far. Right. Without thinking, he jumped to his feet, firing insanely in Vile's general direction. In the blinding light and smoke, he scrambled for the wall and sprang lithely up to the top of the scaffolding. He crouched down, watching Vile recover. The purple Reploid staggered back, feeling the burn of several new wounds. Zero grinned. That'll teach him. Vile ran around the edge of the hulk of machinery, firing in a blind rage.

Zero restrained a hoarse laugh, watching him glare around.

"Where are you now, Zero? You won't like it when I find you."

Then I just won't let you find me, will I? I'm gonna fry your hide. He slunk carefully along the scaffold, trying not to make the slightest sound. It didn't seem very necessary, since Vile kept talking.

"You know, Zero," he was saying cheerfully, "I can probably get away with killing you. I'm just not allowed to destroy you. Sigma wouldn't like that. 'Course, what do I care what he wants?" A grin emanated from behind the helmet. "I don't. But if I keep him happy, eventually, he'll go away - you guys will kill him. Well, X will. You won't get the chance." He paced in another direction, back toward where Zero was crouched above him. "You have a destiny to live up to, Zero. Sigma always wanted you to accept that."

Zero tensed, willing himself not to get angry. Don't let your emotions run away with the rest of you. He doesn't know what he's talking about. But his feelings of uncertainty and rage grew as Vile continued.

"You're supposed to be on our side, Zero. Don't you get it yet? Sigma thinks we can persuade you to join us." He laughed scornfully. "Great joke, huh? I want to take you apart before I put you back together."

Zero hissed softly. We'll see who takes who apart.

"Well, it'll happen. After Sigma's gone. And then - this is the good part - you get to take care of X for us." He shrugged, laughing again. "I figured out that none of us could beat X a long time ago. But you - his best buddy! You're as strong as he ever was. You can kill him. And the rest of us can take him apart. He'll be going to the scrap bin - we can process him for spare parts."

Ri-i-i-ight. He let his fury simmer. Back burner, okay? X always told you to control your temper, he muttered to himself.

Vile paused, trying to think of a way to tick Zero off badly enough to attack him. "It doesn't matter, Zero." His voice was flat, cold. Zero nearly stopped breathing. "You're going to join us. You've got no control over your destiny."

Zero set his jaw. You're really asking for it.

"Sigma believes that, anyway. However it happens, you'll be on our side." That voice, so smug. So self-satisfied. "You'll betray everything you knew. X, your pathetic humans, even yourself!"

Zero's fists clenched. One more word. I'll kill you, Vile.

Vile blinked suddenly. "Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. Your reinforcements got here."

He looked up. No.

"They didn't get very far, though."

I'm going to kill you.

"You should see what's left of them - hope you didn't have any friends in there."

"I had friends in there," Zero said quietly.

Vile spun around, looking for him. Zero got up slowly, pacing down the scaffold.

"I wasn't finished," Vile said, voice shaking. He collected himself. "Well, they're dead now. Busted - deep-fried, you know."

He gained confidence. His back was turned to Zero, who smiled.

"They're dead. We killed them."

Vile sounded a little off-balance. His body was shaking, maybe with laughter.

Zero paused.

"Me and Sigma - we programmed that gun! That sucker packs a wallop! They're greasy smears on the dirt - and I killed them, Zero! You hear that? I killed them!"

Zero glared down at him. He's crazy. He shook his head with sudden realization. Vile had gone insane. I guess dying does that to you. He smiled ironically.

"And I'm gonna kill you too!" Vile's voice rasped harshly, and he burst into hysterical laughter. "Kill you! Just like I did the FIRST time!"

That snapped it for Zero. With a roar of hate, he vaulted from the scaffolding, swinging his saber at Vile's head. But to his utter surprise, the Maverick anticipated his attack and darted aside, swinging his arm cannon around. Zero's mouth dropped open in shock as a burst of plasma energy ripped into his side. He slammed backwards into the wall, face a mask of agony. Vile was still laughing helplessly.

"See - didn't I tell you?" Vile lowered his cannon at Zero's face. "This is for everything you've put me through," he breathed, hate thick in his words.

"Likewise!" came a female scream from behind him.

Vile didn't have time to turn before the wave-knife sank into the small of his back, crushing through his armor and severing energy and fluid conduits, as the resonances from the humming blade tore his systems apart. He crashed to the floor, throwing sparks.

Zero lifted his head a little. It sank down again, and he didn't move.

"Zero!" Flurry ran forward, jumping over Vile's body. "Oh, God, I'm too late." She could feel tears starting and willed them away. "Get up, you idiot! I still need you!"

She knelt down slowly. "Come on. Please? Don't give up on me. I can still save you. I promise."

He didn't respond, hand twitching where he'd clenched it instinctively over his wound.

Flurry rose frustratedly. "You can't do this to us! You're gonna just let Tourian and X - Zero! Get up!" She started to pace. "They're in there fighting someone they can't possibly beat alone - and you're here letting yourself die!" She spun around and caught his chin in her hand, forcing him to look into her eyes.

He looked away.

"NO!" she snapped, then her voice softened. "Zero, you promised you wouldn't die. You promised."

At her last words, he stirred. "What took you so long?" he asked, barely audible.

"The transporters," she grinned hopefully. "I have them rigged - it took some time."

He tried painfully to get up. She caught him, and he pushed her away.

"Idiot," she denounced him. "Let me help. You aren't invincible."

"Neither are you," he growled.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "But I'm not hurt, am I?" She glared suddenly. "You're acting like Tourian!"

He tried to rise again, but this time he let her help him. "I have no idea how you meant that," he muttered, leaning against her offered shoulder, "and I'm also not sure how to take it."

"Take it like a man," she teased.

He glared.

"Don't worry, Zero. It's better that I treat you like I do Tourian than some other people I could mention." She glanced meaningfully over at Vile's body.

He grunted. "You have a point there."

"You're armed, aren't you?" Flurry murmured.

"Still have my saber." He looked down at her. "Your knife? Aren't you going to get it?"

She paused. "No. We don't . . . have time."

"You had time to save me."

"I need you alive. Besides, I have my saber and -" she giggled "- I can put on a light show to beat the Fourth of July."

He shook his head, wincing slightly. "Where X and Tourian?"

"Nearest I could figure, they're up at the top of the building. With the gun controls." She shuddered. "The others are dead. They can't have survived that."

He shrugged. "They're dead. Vile was bragging about it. Said he killed them."

"You hush up," she told him calmly, "You don't need to talk. I'll see what I can do with that wound once we're out of here."

He shook his head. "No time."

"Idiot."

"That's the third time you've called me that."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Is there a reason for it - or am I just special?"

She sniffed. "Idiot!"

He laughed at her. "Doc was thinking about making some new female Reploids - but he decided they'd be too complicated." He laughed again.

"Complicated!" Flurry glared at him. "If you keep that up, I'll leave you here."

"Right. I thought you needed me alive."

"I'd just as soon dump you here!"

"Sure. You like me too much for that."

"Somebody's been lying to you, buddy," she replied easily. Then she frowned. "Oh, geez. If this works - it means I'll have three brothers instead of just one! Yech! I don't think I could take that."

Zero looked surprised. "Brother? I thought I was just the guy you kept around to try out all your insults on."

She tilted her head, maneuvering him around a chunk of metal. "I don't know why I said that. I guess I'm not thinking. At least you've got some of your spirit back."

"At least you've held onto yours."

She paused, looking up at the door she'd blasted through. "I don't know." Her voice was sad. "We've already lost. I don't see how it matters."

"Lost? What are you talking about?"

She shrugged painfully. "I was wrong when I thought we could just save you and X and everything would be all right. We needed everyone. Every body out there on that battlefield counts against us. Even if we save you - it won't be enough."

"Come on. Of course it will." He tried to laugh, but stopped before it got very far.

"Maybe this is better. We never should have tampered with history. I guess it . . . just can't be changed. I'm just worried about what Dr. Kreyin will think. What the Company will do to us - to him."

"Flurry," Zero said finally.

"Hmm?"

"Shut up." He flinched, standing up carefully on his own.

She blinked at him in astonishment. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said to shut up. Now, where's that transporter? You brought me back from the brink of despair, and I'm not going to let you give up on yourself, either."

"It's eighty meters down this hallway," she told him, still a little stunned. "Do you think we can make it there in time?"

"We always have before."

\--

Tourian hauled X out of the way of another shot, the blast skinning over his shoulder. He flinched a little, and X got up to fire at Sigma. The battle was not going well. He had taken little to no damage, but that was because X kept taking all the hits for him.

"X - get behind something - ungh!" Tourian fell back, swallowing hard. That hadn't really been called for. X had shoved him fiercely, firing another shot at Sigma, who dodged it lazily.

He finally gave up on persuasion. Roaring out a challenge, he called on his own powers. Sigma turned to stare at him in surprise, but not soon enough to dodge Tourian's barrage of cannonfire. He fell back, hissing at the new wounds he received. X took a step forward, pressing the advantage, and Tourian circled to another side to attack from a different direction.

The barrage of fire worked - for a time.

X yelled a warning, flinging himself aside barely in time to dodge Sigma's flying leap out of the firestorm. He hit the ground and rolled, coming to his feet just in time to find the Maverick leader's fist at his jaw. His head snapped to one side, and he spun into the wall.

Tourian shouted sharply, running blindly at Sigma. He found himself backhanded away, skidding along the floor with the sound of metal screeching against metal ringing harshly in his ears.

X tried to get to his feet, but Sigma set a hand firmly on his shoulder, not pushing him down, but holding him in place.

Their eyes met. And silence held for a long moment.

A slow sneer worked its way along Sigma's mouth.

Tourian saw the electrical discharge before X, but he had no time to cry out a warning.

X reeled away, shuddering convulsively as the energy tore at him. Forks of electricity danced over him, and he fell against the wall.

He moaned softly.

"I'm terribly sorry, X," Sigma said coldly. "There's nothing more I can do for you. Your resistance must end - even if with death."

"No!"

The cry was threefold. Tourian's hopeless shout was joined by Flurry's desperate cry and Zero's fierce denunciation.

Sigma spun around with a roar - "WHAT!"

"Well," Zero forced a laugh, "caught you by surprise, didn't we? Think we couldn't handle your thugs?"

Sigma looked strained for a moment. "Zero - I see you got past Vile." He grinned. "But not without a wound."

Zero shrugged painfully. "A scratch, really."

"And who's your lady friend?" he asked, indicating Flurry, who bristled.

"The name's Flurry, you pompous bag of bolts!" she snapped.

"High-strung," Sigma commented, taking a lazy step sideways, away from them.

X got up, leaning heavily against the wall. "You're forgetting something, Sigma," he rasped softly. "We're not on your side."

Sigma didn't turn, fully confident that X would not fire on him. He wasn't listening to the humming charge of the X-buster. Zero's eyes glinted. Flurry raised her palm, smiling coldly. Tourian readied his attack.

And Sigma was oblivious to it all. "You really should come back to us, Zero," he was saying calmly. "All of you should have joined us in the first place. I'll make you one last offer. Join us now - and we won't harm you."

"Who is 'us,' Sigma?" X asked quietly, and released the plasma blast at the Maverick's back.

Sigma stumbled forward, rocking unsteadily on his feet.

"We won't be taking you up on that offer," Flurry said flatly, and deadly light danced across the room.

"People like you really annoy me," Tourian announced, unleashing his attack.

"You're going down, Sigma," Zero announced, laughing. Instead of reaching for his saber, he tore the air with his own arm cannon.

Sigma reeled wildly, four separate weapons eating at his defenses bit by bit. Then Tourian stopped. Then Flurry. And X. And Zero, last. Sigma was sprawled on the floor, dead by all appearances, but they knew better than that.

And he exploded. The shock wave knocked them all to the floor, gouging into the tiles where he had been.

Flurry was the first to get to her feet. She staggered over to Tourian, who shook his head dazedly.

"He's . . . gone," she said wonderingly.

A sharp gasp of pain drew her attention. Zero rose waveringly, stumbling over to X.

"Come on, buddy," he said softly. "Get up. This place is gonna blow."

X got unsteadily to his feet. "Think we can make it?" he muttered.

Zero shrugged. "Won't know unless we - urgh. . ." He stumbled and fell, clutching at his wound.

Flurry ran over to him. "Tourian! Help!"

X swayed and tried to move forward. Tourian caught him just before he fell.

Flurry caught Tourian's eye. "We have to get them out of here," she whispered.

The building trembled underneath them. Flurry set her jaw, and Tourian's mouth opened in a silent cry of fear.

"I think I can program a transport!" she shouted as a low rumbling threatened to drown her words. "Like the ones Sigma and Vile were using!"

Tourian nodded, laying X on the floor near Zero. The two of them didn't stir.

Flurry ran over to where she knew she'd seen a computer console and started to work. Schematics for everything and the kitchen sink sprang up on the screen. She frowned.

"'Personal transport,' maybe?"

She blinked. "Bingo."

The tremors grew more intense, rumbling from the depths of the building. Tourian crouched down beside X and Zero, trying to see if they were still alive. They were, barely. A particularly bad shake threw him to the ground. Ear pressed to the floor, he heard the distinct sound of metal and stone tearing apart.

"Flurry! Hurry it up!"

She was getting to her feet, glowering. "I am! I've almost got it configured. I just need a little more time."

"Famous last words!" Tourian snapped.

She was ignoring him, turned back to the computer. "I want Zephyr's coordinates - now!"

He snapped out a string of numbers, trying to keep his balance on the rocking floor.

Flurry input them - and prayed. "Tourian - grab X and Zero! We're getting out of here." I hope.

She pushed a final button. Nothing happened. "NO! I got something wrong."

"FLURRY!" Tourian bellowed.

"Just a sec!"

A crack ripped its way along the floor, just passing by Zero's head. It reached the wall and crawled steadily upwards. Tourian glanced desperately at Flurry. The crack branched out, and a section of wall crumbled in.

"This better work," Flurry muttered, punching in a couple of sequences. "Let's go!"

Tourian yelled. The ceiling cracked above him, and huge blocks of concrete - or whatever - tumbled down. His grip on Zero and X tightened in fear.

Flurry shrieked in triumph.

The room faded around them.


	22. Fly Away Home

Tourian looked up and saw blue sky above him, fading into a reddish sunset over in the west. X and Zero still lay on the ground, unmoving. Flurry stood over by the ridge, watching the Maverick complex crumble. Her head tilted. Whether out of weariness or resignation, Tourian couldn't tell.

"What are we going to do?" she asked suddenly. "History has repeated itself - almost. They're dead in this world."

Tourian glanced down at the two, still forms against the green grass. "They're still alive."

"But they might as well be dead!" Flurry cried. "We can take them back to Dr. Cain - but the others will still be dead!" She turned, eyes hopeless. "Tourian, we've failed. The other Hunters - they needed to survive. Almost all the robots of this era are annihilated."

He shook his head. "Flurry, I don't -"

She pushed past him furiously. She could feel herself wanting to cry - and refused to. Kneeling beside Zero, she rolled him over on his back. His head lolled to one side, and a rattling breath shook from his throat. She brushed her fingers over his cheek.

"We have to take them with us," she murmured.

"What!"

She rose suddenly, defensive. "They'll die if we leave them - you know it!"

"We'll take them back to Hunter HQ," Tourian said desperately. "They can help them there - can't they?"

Her eyes flashed. "You don't get it, Tourian!" she screamed. "If they don't come with us, we won't exist in the future!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, uncertain.

"If - if we take them back to Dr. Cain, there's a chance that the Third Discovery won't happen. And if the Third Discovery doesn't happen, we won't exist! Dr. Kreyin won't ever build any robots, and - and -"

"We won't ever be built?" Tourian said incredulously. "But - we have to be built!"

X stirred and moaned. Flurry turned to him, laying a hand on his chest. "Relax," she said softly. "You're all right."

He murmured something unintelligible and fell unconscious again.

"But what if it doesn't work that way? What if we can save all those human lives - and still live?"

Flurry's vision blurred - with tears. "Are you going to take that risk, Tourian? I won't." Her face grew firm as stone. "Call me a coward if you want - but I want to live! I don't want to have . . . never existed." She grew fierce. "Tourian, I'll leave you here if you won't come!"

He crouched down in front of her, gazing from her, to X, to Zero, then back at her again. Slowly, unwillingly, he nodded his assent. "But how do we know they'll survive the trip?"

"We can put them in the cargo holds - they're double shielded. We need to reset the buffers." Her voice was sober as she stood up. "I want to be awake when the Company comes for us."

His mouth tightened. "Yeah. They aren't gonna be too happy."

Flurry glanced up suddenly. "We have to hurry," she said. "Let's get them inside."

Tourian nodded, hauling X up over his shoulder. He opened the hatch into Zephyr and moved him into the back. Flurry picked Zero up, sighing at the wound, where dried fluids had crusted over the edges of the tear.

The two were set side by side in the back, and Flurry and Tourian left Ayrmin to keep an eye on them. Jackdaw and Tremor were sniping at each other.

Flurry settled uneasily into her seat. "Do you remember the coordinates where they found us?"

Tourian shook his head. "No. But Zephyr does. Let me look them up."

"No, wait." Flurry turned her head, face contemplative. "We'll just warp here."

Her companion glowered. "What if we land in a tree, Flurry?"

"Well, fine. If you want Diane Holcomb and her cronies to be waiting for us when we land -"

"Never mind," Tourian grumped. "I'll work on the buffers - okay?"

"Sure." She leaned back, closing her eyes.

Tourian muttered and grumbled for a few more minutes before uttering, "Hey, wait a minute. Flurry, the buffers - they were set backwards." He grinned lamely. "Turbulence shouldn't be as bad this time."

Flurry frowned in response. Tourian, you're such a ding, sometimes. She endeavored to relax, leaning back in her chair as Tourian fired up the engine. She heard him swallow hard.

"I think I fixed the problem with the buffers. Doc had them configured backwards."

"Shut up and start the thing, will you?" Flurry asked, pained.

"I've got to get the repulsors going," he muttered absently. "We can be off the ground and ready to go when we get back."

"Mm-hm." Her eyes were squeezed firmly shut, trying to ignore the danger they were putting X and Zero in by experimenting with the craft. The two were as close to death as Flurry had ever seen a creature, and it wouldn't take much to push them the rest of the way.

Ayrmin woofed something derogatory at Tremor and Jackdaw, who sniped right back at him. Their conversation ended there, but Ayrmin got up suddenly, barking a warning.

Flurry turned around in her seat. "Ayrmin, what is it?"

He continued to bark, voice growing more harsh and urgent with each passing moment.

"Tourian, stop - something's wrong."

Tourian looked at her sharply. "What are you talking about? I just ran a diagnostic. Nothing's the matter."

She shook her head. "Look at Ayrmin. Look at Tremor and Jackdaw."

He gazed back at them, unconcerned. Unconcerned at Ayrmin's frantic snarling, at Tremor's low-voiced yowls, at Jackdaw's faint, nervous noises. He nodded slowly.

"They're probably just worried about the trip," he muttered carefully, turning back around.

Flurry's expression was doubtful. "But -"

"We've got to get moving," Tourian overrode her. "We don't have time to worry about this." He punched in the launch sequence, ignoring Flurry's continued objections.

The Zephyr gave a slight shudder, taking in the calculations with little resistance. Tourian smiled his relief as the time gauge clicked into place.

"See, Flurry? I told - what the. . . ."

The gauge clicked again, and the needle started to swing back and forth randomly. Flurry stared at it, then at Tourian, whose face mirrored her horrified expression.

"Tourian, what did you do?" she wailed.

"Nothing - it did that all on its own!"

"Yeah, sure!" she snapped harshly, "It just up and decided it didn't want to got home!"

Tourian tapped a couple of buttons, trying to abort the time warp. "Flurry, it won't stop!"

The needle swung crazily, erratically. The engine purred, all systems going green. Zephyr was preparing to warp - all on its own. Tourian looked on helplessly as the needle of the time gauge swung back, forth, and back again. It clicked, and he stared, stunned into silence.

"Oh, God - we can't go there!"

"Where?" Flurry screamed. "What are you -"

Her words were drowned out in the roar of the time warp. The world spun crazily for a split second, and Flurry slumped forward against her restraining belts. She waited silently for the pain to start, but nothing happened. The wrenching agony of their first journey never came. She looked over at Tourian, who was still gazing at the time gauge.

"Where are we going?" she asked mutely.

He looked up, eyes hopeless. "Farther back. I'm not sure where."

Flurry glanced over her shoulder at the still forms of X and Zero. Ayrmin was crouched near them, rumbling unpleasantly. The other animals were unmoving and uneasy.

"Tourian, what if they can't fix them where we're going?"

He slumped. "They can fix them where we're going." He slumped further. "I just don't know if we want them to."

"What do you mean? Tourian?"

He refused to respond, and the rest of the journey was made in silence.


	23. Unfamiliar? Territory

The journey did not last long. Five minutes at the most. Flurry was slumped in her seat, worried sick about where they were headed. Tourian refused to look at anyone, guilt running rampant over his systems, mocking his every attempt at explanation. Ayrmin paced around, growling anxiously at the other two, who ignored him.

And then everything stopped.

Zephyr was silent in less than a second, and all her systems blipped their perky announcement of arrival at destination.

Tourian stirred. "Computer, give me a scan of the area."

Flurry watched the results pan up on the screen. They were still in a semi-forested area, hovering above a clear spot on the ground.

"Set us down, Tourian," she said calmly.

He did so mechanically, slumping back again.

"Now, tell me where we are."

His eyes were dark with pain when he turned to her. "We're somewhere in the 21st century. I even know where we are geographically."

She crossed her arms impatiently.

"Right outside the lab of Thomas Light, his" he jerked a thumb at X "creator."

Flurry's eyes came close to bugging out. "What do you mean? Tourian - oh, gawd, we're in trouble."

"You've got the obvious part, Flurry - now tell me how we're going to get out of it." He unbuckled himself and slid out of his seat.

Flurry got up as well, looking at X and Zero. "What about them? We can't possibly repair them."

"Yes, we can."

Flurry glared daggers at her counterpart. "Tourian, now you're talking crazy! Did something jam up in your circuits during the time warp?"

"Flurry," Tourian said resignedly, "will you stop doing that?"

"Doing what? Insulting you? I most certainly will not. Especially when you say stupid things like -" She was on the verge of full scream, when he cut her off.

"Flurry, shut up. Do you remember the Third Discovery? I've got all their schematics running around in my head - I can fix them."

She looked skeptical. "Parts?"

He gestured around. "Doc put some spare stuff in here in case she broke down."

She gave up. "All right. Let's do this."

\--

An hour later, Flurry leaned back, drawing her hand across her forehead. They had been working on X for all that time, trying to figure out why he wouldn't reactivate. There was massive internal damage, but time and patience had taken care of that - not to mention the fact that most of his systems were self-repairing. Tourian smashed his fist frustratedly into Zephyr's floor.

"What's wrong? Everything should be okay!"

Flurry patted his arm silently, and he turned to her, deeply distressed.

"He should be okay . . . he should."

She smiled kindly. "Tourian, maybe he just needs to plug into some energy for a while. Let's move him over to a bed." Or what was meant to be a bed. It could be a bed, technically, but it wouldn't be very comfortable. They hauled X up and set him carefully on what appeared to be a slab of metal.

"Now we just plug him into the wall, I suppose," Tourian said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

Flurry gave him a dirty look. "There has to be some sort of energy intake - there." She frowned, glancing up questioningly. "You have his schematics, remember?"

"Huh. Yeah, that's right. Plug him in, already."

Flurry did so, and they were gratified to hear a sleepy murmur from the injured robot. Tourian nodded, and they turned to Zero. Flurry sighed.

"He's a real mess," Tourian growled. "What happened?"

"Vile shot him - point-blank."

"Yech."

They knelt down on either side of him, Tourian inspecting his wound, Flurry looking guiltily at his face. "If I'd just been a little faster," she muttered softly.

"Huh?" Tourian looked up. "Come on, Flurry. Don't talk like that. Wasn't your fault."

She sat back, clasping her arms around her knees. "Yeah, sure. You can talk. You were with X every minute. I let him get away from me. And he's practically dead because of it."

"Well, he'll be even deader if you don't snap out of it and help me."

With a soft sniff, Flurry got up. "What can I do?"

"Well, for one, you can get him hooked up to a medical terminal so we can see if he's flatline or not."

"Hmmpf. Get him up on the other bed, first, idiot."

"Sure, sure."

Tourian lifted Zero easily and set him down on the bed. Flurry fussed around, trying to get the scanners activated. "Boy, Vile sure made a mess of him," Tourian muttered. "Ripped a hole right through his armor. And through a couple of his systems."

Flurry gazed uneasily at the medical readout. "He's in bad shape, Tourian."

"I know," he muttered. "We'll have to be careful."

Turning slowly away, Flurry walked over to Zephyr's controls. "How long do you think it'll take for them to notice us?"

"Hm?" Tourian looked up. "They should have already. It's not like we're hidden or anything."

"Oh, and I suppose that sheer politeness is keeping them from knocking our door down."

Tourian returned his attention to treating Zero, saying, "Well, move us, if you want to."

She shrugged and sat down in the pilot's seat, deciding to simply stay quiet and out of the way.

They passed the evening away in that fashion.


	24. Outside

"Well, does anyone but me want to know what that thing is?"

"Oh, cool down, Rock. All it's done in two hours is set down on the ground. Really threatening."

Roll yawned, stretching lazily. The cat on her lap uttered a sleepy purr and jumped to the floor. She got to her feet, joining her brother at the window. A small, sleek craft sat outside, humming with energy. It had been an endless source of fascination for Rock ever since it had appeared there. Just out of nowhere, he claimed.

"Dr. Light will be back soon. We'll talk about it then."

"By the time he gets back, that thing will have made fish food out of us!"

Roll shook her head impatiently. "Don't you think it would have done that already?"

He glared at her. "Do you have to contradict me all the time?"

"Do you have to be so paranoid?" She smirked challengingly.

"I'm still keeping an eye on it," he said sullenly, turning his back to the window.

"Go ahead! No one's stopping you." She walked out of the room, headed for the kitchen, clicking her tongue. "Anyone hungry? We've got vittles coming!"

An enthusiastic bark greeted her announcement, and a red-armored canine bounded out of the room after her. A questioning murmur rose from the cat, who sauntered out as well. Rock restrained the urge to make a face as he returned to his vigil at the window.

\--

Roll entered the room again an hour later, and he was still standing there, watching the machine outside do a whole lot of nothing. She turned to the man beside her, saying, "See, Doc? It's just like I told you."

Dr. Light, an older man with a full head of white hair and a beard, chuckled tolerantly, and Roll sniffed. The two people who were also with them smiled at each other knowingly.

"If there's any danger from that thing," she snapped, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "it's that Rock will never get away from that window again!"

This time the scientist burst out laughing, and his two companions joined in his amusement. Roll glowered. She saw nothing funny about this.

One of the people, a young, blonde girl, covered her smile with her hand. "You mean he hasn't gotten bored yet?"

Roll made an unladylike noise. "Oh, sure. He could probably stare at a blank spot on the wall and keep amused. Is it a guy thing, or what?"

Dr. Light's other companion, a man of lightish brown hair, laughed softly. "You women often try to puzzle us out, am I correct?"

"Not so as you'd notice," Roll replied. "I don't suppose you can get him away from there, Dr. Cossack?"

"You could try asking politely," Rock growled, turning from the window, an expression of annoyance plastered all over his face.

Roll tossed her head. "It didn't work before."

Kalinka, the blonde girl and Cossack's daughter, burst into giggles. Then her face cleared, suddenly serious. "If he's really all that curious," she suggested teasingly, "we could all go out and take a look."

"Great idea!" Rock announced. "What do you say, Roll?"

"I'm game." She glanced at the two scientists. "How about you?"

"Mm, I don't think so," Light declined, "We have important matters to discuss. You go on out there - and be careful."

"Always am," Rock replied glibly.

"Yeah, right," his sister retorted.

"Take care of yourself," Cossack said firmly to his daughter.

"Of course, Father," she said, shaking her head. "You'd think I was headstrong and careless with the way he's so protective," she said to Roll, who snickered.

Rock shifted impatiently. "Let's just get out there, okay?"

\--

Flurry sat back, half asleep, when Tourian shouted triumphantly.

"What the -" she murmured sleepily, staggering around the edge of the seat.

"Sorry, Flurry," he grinned. "Zero's okay now. His auto-repair systems kicked in a minute ago." He got to his feet. "A little patchwork on the armor, and we're home free."

"Patchwork? How the heck are we gonna 'patch' his armor?" Her voice dripped skepticism.

He paused, frowning. "Er - ah . . . Give me a minute."

Flurry rolled her eyes. "Why not just admit you can't?" she asked acidly.

"Hey, I never said -"

"Hush up, Tourian." She paused. "If we can't repair the armor - we might as well do without."

"WHAT!"

She blinked at him. "What's the matter, Tourian? Did that not register?"

He stared at her stupidly, arms dangling limply at his sides.

"Tourian, stop gaping. You look like an idiot."

He shut his mouth, only to open it again with a storm of objections.

"Hear me out!" she shouted at him. He shut up, face profoundly skeptical. "Look," she began, "if I'm not mistaken, it's incredibly important that the people of this time period not know about us. That we're robots - of the advanced kind that we are. You said that this Dr. Light created X, which makes it vitally important that he and whoever else not know about him and Zero. So we pretend to be humans."

Tourian started to object again, and she cut him off with a sweeping gesture.

"It's simple - off with the armor, and we look as human as anybody!"

"But - b-b-b-but!" he stammered.

"Have you got a better idea?" she asked sharply.

"You h-haven't given me t-time to think of one!" The idea of abandoning most of his defenses clearly unnerved him.

She sighed, shifting wearily. "How much longer until they're operational?"

Tourian shrugged, turning back to Zero and checking the medical readouts again. "X should wake up any time. Zero's gonna have to stay plugged in for a while." He paused, uneasy. "You aren't serious about the armor, are you?"

"Of course I am," Flurry retorted, annoyed. "We can't go out there as robots!" She frowned. "Take a glance over the schematics and see how the armor works."

He offered her a doubtful glance before falling into a frown of concentration. Flurry crossed and uncrossed her arms impatiently, waiting for him to finish. It really shouldn't take you this long, Tourian. His eyes narrowed suddenly.

"So that's it," he said finally. "Not as bad as I thought."

Flurry blinked as his body took on a startling glow, a nimbus, surrounding him for a split second. Then it was gone, and Tourian stood before her in jeans and a T-shirt, not to mention worn sneakers. He shook his head of tousled, dark hair, grinning faintly.

Flurry giggled. "You're not a bad-looking human, Tourian. How'd you do that?"

"Well, it's one of those systems we never needed working in the lab - so Doc never said anything about it." He winked. "You'll find it pretty quick."

She sighed and thought about it for a minute. "Oh!" she laughed, and moments later, she and Tourian appeared to be a pair of humans. Flurry lifted her hands to her head. "Huh?" She pulled off a cap. "I didn't even - well, at least I'm not wearing a skirt." She paused, gazing quietly at the cap. It seemed old, somehow, with no insignia, no sports, simply a blue and grey hat. "Just like my armor." She shook her head.

Tourian frowned. "Hey, how come I didn't get a cap?"

Flurry stuck her tongue out. "You're not special!" she teased. She spun around on one foot, hair whipping around her, admiring the startling mobility of the clothing. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?" she demanded crossly, replacing the hat on her head and putting her hands on her hips. "This is a lot better than that clunky armor!"

Tourian shrugged. "We never needed street clothes before." He frowned. "The armor wasn't clunky, either."

Flurry waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, hush -"

She stopped, hearing a low moan.

X was sitting up painfully, holding his head in his hands. "Wh-what happened?" he asked softly. He pulled his hands away from his face and stared at them. "I - I'm alive?" He looked up. "Tourian! Flurry!" He looked terribly confused.

Flurry nodded encouragingly, moving past Tourian to stand beside him.

"I don't understand. I should be -" He looked over at Zero. "No!" He lurched to his feet, straining against Flurry's firm grip.

Tourian ran over to help her, forcing him to sit down. "He's all right, X," Tourian said calmly. "Honest - he'll be okay."

X relaxed, leaning forward and resting his forehead in his hands. "Tell me what's going on - please," he said, sounding exhausted.

Sorrow touched Flurry's eyes as she sat down beside him and put arm over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, X. I really am. We escaped from the fortress, and we brought you with us." She glanced up at Tourian. "The thing is . . . everyone in your time thinks you're dead."

X looked up at her. "Dead?"

She nodded, shame coloring her face. "You would have died in that explosion - both of you. But we took you out."

He groaned and slumped again. "That means we can't go back."

Tourian looked away. "Yeah. I guess it does. I'm sorry."

X jumped to his feet, suddenly fierce. "That doesn't change anything - does it? You took us away from our home, our time, our very existence!" he shouted wrathfully. "Don't you understand what you've done? At all?" He sank down again, shoulders shaking.

Flurry got up, hurt. "We just wanted to save our world. Maybe we shouldn't have -" She shook her head frustratedly and went to the pilot's chair. "It doesn't matter," she muttered. "We can't change it now."

Tourian stood still for a long time, head hung sadly. "She's right, X," he said quietly. "You're right. We can't change it now. No matter how much we regret it."

X didn't answer. He slid his helmet off and set it on the bed next to him. After a long moment, he said, "So where are we?" He tried a grin, but it fell somewhat short. "Or when are we?"

Tourian looked uneasy. "That's the problem. We went back in time, instead of forward."

X gazed at him sharply. "What are you saying?"

"Something in Zephyr went haywire, and we're in the 21st century. That's back before you guys -" He stopped. "X, what is it?"

"You mean - this is when - Dr. Light?"

Tourian nodded quickly. "Yeah, but we can't let them know who we are."

X shook his head. "There was so much I always wanted to ask him - things I've wanted to know forever!" he cried. "But, no."

Tourian relaxed. "We can't afford to mess up the timeline any more than it already is. I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's all right." X got up slowly and looked his twin up and down. "Street clothes? That's a neat trick." He waved away Tourian's offered explanation. "I know how it's done, man."

Flurry turned and saw them both, blinking at their resemblance. "Now I'll never be able to tell you apart!" she scolded.

"Aw, Flurry," Tourian laughed, "you know it's me!"

"Or is it me?" X grinned at her.

Flurry glanced back and forth between them a couple of times. "Stop that!" She turned her attention to Zero. "Tourian, how much longer?"

He grunted. "Oh, not too long. X recovered pretty quick."

X looked over at his friend. He shifted uncomfortably. "Thank you," he said slowly, "for saving - us." He grinned ruefully. "He'll probably get over it quicker than me. I just - I don't know."

Flurry touched his arm gently. "It's okay. We can get out of this okay. I know we can."

"So what exactly happened?" X asked calmly.

Tourian and Flurry looked at each other, worry flashing across their features.

"We don't know exactly," Tourian answered slowly, and proceeded to relate the story.

A half-hour later, X was shaking his head, unsure of what to think. "I don't know what could have happened," he said. "But how did it end up here? I don't go in for coincidence too much."

Flurry shrugged. She was seated next to where Zero lay, and Tourian was leaning against the wall, patting Ayrmin. They were all silent for a moment, until Flurry jumped up with a shriek.

"He hit me!" she shouted furiously.

"Who what?" Tourian asked.

X laughed at her. "Look at Zero."

The robot in question swung his arm out again, muttering at an imaginary foe. Flurry sniffed haughtily, crossing her arms.

"I say we should wake him up," she growled. "With a pail of cold water!"

X yawned. "There isn't one available, otherwise I'd let you. Just give him a good shake."

"I'll give him a shake," Flurry yowled softly, "I'll give him a shake he'll never -"

"Not a chance, sister!" Zero snapped, sitting up sharply.

"You were awake!" she accused.

"Sure, after you yelped the first time." He grinned, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Now, I'd really like to know why I'm all in one piece" he glanced at his armor "mostly, and why you and Tourian aren't back home."

Tourian gritted his teeth. "Your turn, Flurry. I'm not saying it all over again."

"My pleasure," Flurry lied, masking her annoyance.


	25. First Impressions

Rock paused, blinking unworriedly at the darkness. Kalinka yawned from behind him, tired from her travels and really a little impatient with this "machine" they kept talking about. It was getting late. Roll couldn't think of anything sarcastic to say, so she simply kept her mouth shut.

"Look, there it is." Rock took a bound forward, crouching low to the ground before moving again.

Roll stared at him boredly. "Enough with the dramatics. You aren't impressing anyone."

Kalinka smiled. "I think I will go back inside." They turned, and she shrugged. "I'm tired."

"I'll come with you," Roll announced. "Rock can snoop around if he wants - I'll just wait 'til morning."

Rock watched them leave, not at all pleased with their lack of enthusiasm. But he didn't say anything. He turned back to the craft, determined to find out what it was.

\--

Flurry yawned. She was seated in the pilot's chair again, and Zero was sitting in the copilot's place, looking incuriously over the controls.

"So, uh, what can this thing do?" he asked. "All these buttons have to be here for a reason."

She tilted her head. "I suppose." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, most of them are for human convenience. Look." Flurry reached over and punched a button on Zero's side of the panel. "It reclines the chairs," she laughed.

Zero, who had been leaning forward to study the controls, half-turned, startled to see the seat leaning back at a forty-five degree angle. He turned to Flurry, face bemused. "Why?"

Flurry grinned. "I think it's a human thing."

"Works for me," he answered, leaning back and putting his feet up on the control panel. Flurry frowned disapprovingly and punched the button again. The seat fell back another forty-five degrees, nearly dumping Zero on the floor - then it jerked up to its original position.

"You know, Flurry," he said calmly, setting his feet firmly on the floor, "you aren't very nice."

"I never claimed to be," she replied.

"Hey, Flurry!" Tourian called from where he and X were figuring out the animals' holographic camouflage, "Could you do another area scan? I don't really trust all this quiet."

"Sure, sure," she grumbled. "Now he understands what I was talking about."

The scanning screen came up, and Zero leaned over to look, his hair falling in his way. He growled something unintelligible at it, and Flurry restrained a chuckle.

"Gee, Zero. You could put it in a ponytail."

"Har, har, har," he said sarcastically, standing up to look instead. "That's why I wanted to keep my armor - at least my helmet."

"You'd look silly with your helmet and those clothes, so hush up - what's that?" The object of her question was a blip on the screen, creeping ever closer to the Zephyr.

The blip took a careful step forward and stopped. Flurry tilted her head, amused. She told Zephyr to run a scan, and she frowned at the results.

"It's a robot," she said.

"A robot?" Zero asked, "And it's snooping around us?"

"What are you two talking about?" X asked, coming up behind Zero.

"That," Flurry said. "Give me a visual, Zeph."

The computer apologized, informing her that it most certainly could not.

"Fine. Be that way." Flurry sat back, tapping her fingers against the console. "Well, I guess I'll go see what our little visitor wants."

"Can I come?" Zero asked.

Tourian got up, scratching Ayrmin's ears. The dog whined affectionately. "Flurry, I don't know if that's such a great idea."

She turned and glared at him accusingly. "Are you saying I can't handle this, Tourian?" she asked challengingly.

He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. "'Course not. Just be careful."

"Can I come?" Zero repeated impatiently.

"No. You gentlemen can keep each other company for a while."

Zero shook his head sullenly, and X laughed at him.

Flurry checked the scan again and saw that the robot had moved to the side opposite the door. Nodding quickly, she opened it and stepped out into the night air. She slipped around the edge of the time machine, glancing cautiously about. She saw a shadowy figure looking the machine over, running his hand along the side as if to check for a door. It suddenly lifted its fist to bash into Zephyr's side.

"Hey," Flurry yelled without thinking, "that's private property! What do you think you're doing?"

The figure stopped, stared, took a step back, and bolted. Not even bothering to call for the others, Flurry ran after it, until she realized that it was scrambling for the wide circle of a spotlight next to the building Zephyr had landed near. She skidded to a halt, just outside the light - and stared.

The startled figure appeared to be a young boy - whose blue battle armor materialized around him in a second's time. Flurry continued to stare.

And then she fainted dead away.

\--

Zero yelled something incomprehensible. X and Tourian stared in amazement. Whatever it was, it had scared Flurry badly enough to faint. Zero growled something else and jumped out the door, running to where Flurry lay. X and Tourian followed him, nearly crashing into him when he came to a dead stop at the edge of the light.

The robot was still standing there, trying to look threatening through all his astonishment.

Tourian crouched down next to Flurry, trying to shake her awake. She stirred and moaned.

Zero jabbed X in the ribs. "He looks like you - if you were ever a kid!"

X told him to hush up before he said something really stupid.

At that point, Tourian, who was propping Flurry up, glanced over at the shaking and startled robot in the circle of light. "He's right, X."

"Shaddap, Tourian," was X's response.

Flurry managed to get to her feet. "I think we better go home, Tourian - we're gonna be in so much trouble."

Tourian shushed her gently, and she shook Zero's arm. He glanced at her and patted her shoulder. "It's all right, Flurry," he grinned lamely.

She shook her head. "No, no it's not. You don't get it - Kreyin - he - he'll have our hides for doormats already, but -"

Tourian put his hand firmly over her mouth. She looked at him dazedly, unresisting.

X was the first to speak directly to the robot. "Hey, who are you? And why were you messing around Zephyr?" He waited for a moment, tensing at the continued silence.

The blue robot straightened, suddenly regaining his confidence, and looked X right in the eye. "I'm Rock. And you parked your machine in my backyard."

Dead silence.

Flurry looked at Tourian.

She looked at Zero.

She looked at X.

She looked at Rock.

She fainted dead away.


	26. Open Mouth, Insert Foot

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Flurry," Tourian muttered, shaking her awake for the second time.

She pushed him off, muttering softly. "Why'd he - of all people - have to come sneaking around, anyway?"

Rock was staring at them both, clearly more surprised that they didn't know who he was than that they'd chased him. He shifted back and forth from foot to foot, trying to figure out what to make of them. They looked like four humans - maybe those two were twins or something, as he caught sight of X and Tourian. He saw the blond-haired one take a firm grip on the girl who kept fainting, and she punched him in the arm.

"Leave me alone, Zero!" she snapped. "I can stand on my own!"

"This way," he growled back, "if you faint again, we don't have to pick you up!"

She sniffed haughtily, but didn't try to break free again.

One of the twins was shaking his head. "I should have guessed - boy, do I feel dumb!" He laughed, running a hand through his hair.

"So what do we do now?" asked the other.

Rock rolled his eyes. "Hey - hello!" He waved a hand sarcastically, armor fading back to ordinary clothes. "I've got a question."

They all turned to him, annoyed that he'd interrupted.

"What?" the girl snapped at him.

"What are you doing here?"

She blinked at him - and started laughing hysterically. "Now that's funny!" she chortled. "Gaw, he wants to know why we're here!" She stopped laughing abruptly. "It's a mistake. We took a wrong turn in the space-time continuum and landed here instead of home!"

"Flurry, be quiet!" yelled one of the twins.

"You be quiet, Tourian!" she retorted.

The blond one looked heavenward. "Why don't you both just shut up?" he demanded in annoyance.

"Can it, Zero!" the one called Flurry yelled, stomping on his foot.

He released her, tossing her forward into the spotlight. She came to her feet, snarling.

"Oooh, I oughta -"

"Stop it, both of you," snapped the other twin, stepping between them with his hands held out to either side.

"HEY!" Rock bellowed. They all turned to him again. He sighed. "Nobody's answered my question yet."

The twin who'd stepped into the fight shook his head. "Look. All we want to do is get the necessary parts to fix our ship - and we're out of here."

Rock lifted an eyebrow, skeptical.

"See?" Flurry snapped. "What good does it do? Telling the truth? He wouldn't believe us anyway!"

This time, Tourian didn't say a word. He walked over, measured his distance carefully, and slugged Flurry in the jaw. She reeled back, and the other two stared.

"Tourian, that wasn't called for," said his twin.

Zero glared. "Weren't you ever told not to hit a lady?"

Flurry got up again, ready to blow a fuse. "The next one who does that is gonna feel REAL PAIN!" she screamed.

"That's no lady," Tourian grunted, crossing his arms, "That's Flurry."

Flurry spun to face him. "I'll pound you into your basic components, scraphead!" she shrieked.

"Hey, relax," Tourian's twin said quickly, "he didn't mean it personally."

"I'll deal with you later, X," she snarled, fists clenching. For a moment, she shook with pure rage, ready to attack anyone who looked at her funny. Then she stood still, blinking. "Uh, guys? Why are we all standing around here?" She looked around at them curiously. "Don't we need to fix Zephyr?"

Tourian moaned. "What is it with you, Flurry? You and your crazy mood swings."

She tilted her head, and her cap slipped sideways. Miraculously, it had stayed in place through the entire scene - fainting and everything. "Mood swings?"

"Never mind."

Rock shook his head. If these guys were a danger, they were the worst organized danger he'd ever seen. Flurry walked out of the light, twisting a lock of hair in her hands. The one she'd called X patted her shoulder, and she smiled wanly.

"Listen," Rock said slowly, "you ought to come inside. You're probably hungry or something."

Flurry turned around, expression confused. "Hungry? Why would -"

X clapped a hand over her mouth. She blinked for a moment, then her eyes took on a weary look.

"Sure," Zero said lamely, glaring at Flurry.

"I - uh, guess we should, huh?" Tourian grinned, shrugging.

Rock shook his head again. "Follow me." Boy, is Roll gonna be ticked, he thought. She missed all of this.

\--

Roll glanced up in astonishment as her brother walked in, a strange expression on his face. She nodded her head significantly at Kalinka, who tilted her head curiously.

Trailing behind Rock were four people, all of whom wore expressions of curiosity and wonder. Of all of them, only one was a girl, and she jabbed one of the others in the arm and pointed at Roll. He nodded incuriously, then blinked and nodded again.

"So, who are these people?" Roll asked mildly.

Rock smirked at her. "They were in that machine, sis," he informed her smugly.

She pulled a face at him. "So you were right. Big deal."

The girl laughed aloud.

One of the others glared at her in annoyance.

"This is Flurry," Rock was saying, pointing to the girl. Flurry lifted a hand in acknowledgment. "This is Tourian." The one glaring at Flurry nodded absently. "This is X." There was a curious resemblance between X and Tourian, Roll noted. "This is Zero." The other one grimaced.

Kalinka was gazing at them all in amusement. "Are you going to tell them who we are?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," Rock muttered. "That's Kalinka," he said, pointing to her. She gave something resembling a curtsey. "That's Roll." Roll waved, grinning.

"Yeah. That's me. His kid sister." She laughed.

Flurry smiled, instantly liking her. Tourian gave a lame little grin. He had known who they were from the minute he saw them. X paused, quietly studying them. Zero glanced around the room, trying not to appear too abrupt or bored.

Roll suddenly looked at them curiously. "Flurry, Tourian, X, Zero? Weird names."

Tourian glanced at the others in sudden desperation, and Flurry spoke up. "They're, um, nicknames - actually." She turned to the others for support.

"Yeah," X agreed a little too hurriedly, "but we go by them - most of the time."

Rock seemed perfectly satisfied with that, but Roll's mouth twitched skeptically. Kalinka murmured something about going to bed and headed off toward a hallway. The other six stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, until Rock finally muttered something.

"What?" Roll asked, swinging her blond ponytail in annoyance.

"I asked when Dr. Light was coming back."

X twitched slightly at the mention of the scientist, but no one seemed to notice. Roll was much too busy sniping at her brother, and he was much too busy trying to think of an effective comeback. Flurry patted his shoulder and walked over to Tourian, who shook his head wearily.

"We need to talk," he mouthed at her, and she nodded in agreement.

She passed the message along to Zero, who gave it to X in turn. They all stood quietly, waiting for Rock and Roll to finish up their little war of words. Flurry finally pretended a deep yawn and leaned sleepily against Tourian. Zero restrained a grin. No matter how poor her acting, it got their attention.

"Oh, gosh," Roll sighed, cutting her brother off. "You guys must be tired - um, let me get you something to eat, and Rock can find you a place to sleep -"

"No, that isn't necessary. . . ." Flurry began, but trailed off, looking helplessly at the others.

"We aren't really - hungry." Zero shook his head at her, watching Roll bustle off to get some food.

"We already ate," Tourian offered, and she stopped, crestfallen.

"Oh. Then I'll find some bedding," she muttered.

X started. "Uh, we can sleep in our ship," he said, but Flurry motioned him to silence. It was much easier to get away with not sleeping than not eating.

Roll was glaring at them resentfully, and Rock winced.

"If that's more convenient," X added, after a long silence.

Roll relaxed, smiling again. "No! I insist. We'll find you a place." And she was gone.

Rock grinned at them for a moment, and then he left as well.

Flurry turned to the others. "What have we gotten ourselves into this time?" she moaned.

"Who got us into it?" demanded Tourian. "You went chasing after him!"

"What?" she said sharply. "You're saying this is all my fault? I'm not the one who landed us here, flyboy!"

"Quit it, guys," X growled. "They'll hear!"

Flurry crossed her arms and made a face at him, and he calmly began talking again.

"Okay. We can think this all over tomorrow, guys. Right now, let's just go to our rooms and - get some sleep."

Flurry nodded quietly, seeing sense in his words, especially since her argument with Tourian had caught the attention of a formerly unnoticed inhabitant of the room. A cat, green-striped and sleepy-looking, rumbled at them all curiously. Zero growled back, and the cat flattened his ears with a low yowl. Zero laughed at it.

Tourian gazed at it uneasily. "That must be the one - Tremor's design was based on."

Flurry silenced him with a glare. "Of all the things we can't afford to be talking about," she snarled at him. The cat's eyes narrowed to slits, and it rose, stretching, but after a moment's consideration, it turned around, lay down, and ignored them completely.

They all spun, startled, as Roll walked back into the room, bearing pillows, blankets, and a cheerful smile. "Rock found a place for you," she announced in a perky manner that appeared to grate on Zero's nerves. "We don't have that much space for guests," she continued, "but you can split our two rooms between you. Just be sure you fight quietly." She winked and turned around. "Follow me."

She led them off down a hallway that bore striking resemblance to the one back at Kreyin's complex, and Flurry gazed at the walls with silent trepidation. Before long, they saw Rock leaning against the wall ahead, yawning.

They stopped in front of the two rooms and stood in silence for a long moment. Flurry finally glanced into one of the rooms and snatched a pile of bedding from Roll, who jumped, then gazed at her in amusement.

"That one's mine," Flurry explained, smiling politely. And without further discussion, she walked inside and shut the door.

"Or you don't have to fight at all," Roll remarked thoughtfully. She handed the rest of the bedding to Zero, and she and Rock headed back down the hall.

The other three stared at each other wonderingly until Zero threw the blankets on the floor and stalked into the room. Tourian followed him, shaking his head, and X brought up the rear, dragging the bedclothes behind him.

"Well - we shouldn't just leave it in the hall," he grumbled when Tourian looked at him questioningly.

Zero flopped down in a corner of the room and shut down without a word to anybody, and X nudged him with his foot. The robot growled, rolling over in an attempt to ignore him. X nudged him again, and he sat up.

"What?" he asked crossly. "Is it against the Laws for me to get some sleep?"

"Is that where you're sleeping?" X asked bluntly.

Zero gave him a disgusted look. "No. I thought I'd hang in the closet by my heels!"

X glared at him. "Try it! It just might improve your temper!"

Tourian ignored them both and settled down on the bed, not really caring if anyone else wanted to sleep there. X, fed up with Zero's attitude, slumped into a chair and shut down in silence.

\--

"All right," Roll confronted her brother. "Who are they really?"

He jumped into a chair, staring at her blankly. "Who are they really?" he repeated.

She groaned in disgust. "You are so trusting, Rock!" Her eyes were angry, trying to cover a real concern for him. "Don't you even think they might be -"

"Robots?" Rock asked drily. "Dr. Wily's henchmen?" He frowned skeptically, eyes grim. "Wily isn't that subtle, and you know it."

"I didn't say they were Wily's!" she shouted at him, and he motioned for her to lower her voice. She did so, shaking with annoyance. "All I'm saying is - we should keep our guard up around them." Her mouth quirked almost bitterly. "There's definitely something screwy going on here."


	27. It Can Only Get Worse

Flurry stirred from her room at approximately five the following morning. She crept to the door next to hers and rapped on it nervously. At the lack of response, she hissed, "Guys, it's me! Wake up!"

There was a scraping sound, and Zero opened the door and glowered at her blearily. "Whatcha want?" he mumbled, rubbing at one eye.

"Oh, get up, you idiot," she snarled. "We have to get out to Zephyr!"

Zero glanced back over his shoulder and yawned. "Let them sleep. I'll go out to that stupid machine."

Flurry couldn't help a mutter of annoyance - she'd wanted Tourian's help with the Zephyr - but she set off down the hall with Zero instead. As they stepped into the living room area, a spry figure bounded in front of them, holding a ladle threateningly. Zero stared at it steadily and made to walk forward.

"Where do you think you're going?" Roll asked, lowering the ladle at his midsection.

"Out to our ship," Flurry snapped. "We need to see what's wrong with it!"

"Sure, sure," she answered, turning her suspicious gaze to Flurry. "Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"We took a wrong turn on Main Street," Zero said sarcastically, and tried to go forward again.

"Hey - I'm warning you! Don't move again!" Roll brandished her improvised weapon at him, shifting to a fighting stance.

"Oh - now I'm scared," he growled, rolling his eyes. "Flurry, she's threatening me with a ladle. Please save me." Swearing in annoyance, he started to shove past her.

Roll gave a shriek of fury and leapt at him, swinging the ladle at him, full force. It slapped into the palm of the hand he raised in defense, and he wrapped his fingers firmly around the handle. Roll gave a slight squeak of terror, and he pushed her back, glaring down into her face.

"Do the three Laws of Robotics mean nothing to you, pipsqueak?" he asked acidly, and he released the ladle, causing her to lose her balance.

She stumbled backwards, knocking over a potted plant, and fell on the floor, goggling at Zero, who proceeded to walk outside. Flurry looked at him, at Roll, and back again.

"Er - he's a monster before his coffee," she laughed nervously and darted out after him.

He was outside before she caught up to him, and when she did, she deliberately slammed into him from behind, pitching him forward into the grass. He rolled over on his back and sat up, snarling at her.

"Just what was that for?" he yelled at her.

"You didn't need to do that!" she shrieked back. "What's your problem all of the sudden!"

He got to his feet, trying to decide whether or not to strangle her. "I don't like it here!" he snapped. "This place really gives me the creeps." He turned his back to her, folding his arms across his chest. "Bad enough - bad enough you guys came to my time - but we - me and X weren't supposed to get involved in your problems, were we?"

Flurry stared at his back for a moment, then hung her head. She didn't answer him.

He finally turned around. Catching sight of her expression, he sighed. "But then," he said slowly, "I promised you I wouldn't die."

She tilted her eyes up to his face.

"And," he continued, weariness seeping into his voice, "if this is the only way to keep that promise - I guess I've got no room to . . . complain."

She allowed herself to smile. "Thank you." It was all she said, and it was certainly enough. Without another word in dispute, they went aboard the time machine, where three animals greeted them.

Ayrmin danced like a puppy, Tremor snarled his offense, and Jackdaw abused them verbally. Flurry crouched down to settle the enthusiastic dog, who licked at her face, wriggling insanely.

"All right, all right," she murmured. "You big puppy. Tourian will be along in a little bit. Oof - geez, Ayrmin! We were only gone the night!" The dog had knocked her over and was licking her face. "Get off me!"

With a small sigh, she pushed the dog away and glared up at Zero. "What are you laughing at?"

He stopped laughing and shrugged. "So, where do we start looking for the bug that sent us here?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, getting up. "Tourian was driving, not me." She sat in the pilot's seat, tapping tentatively at the controls. "I can bring up a record of the warp. That should tell us something."

Zero leaned over the chair, watching the computer log. "Hey, wait a minute." He pointed at the screen. "There's our warp."

Flurry bit her lip. "Tech log, Zeph." Her hands hesitated briefly on the console. "It doesn't have any malfunctions noted - it says we gave the command to come here!"

"Run a full diagnostic on the ship. Virus scan, too."

Flurry did so immediately, leaning back contemplatively. "Virus scan?" she asked.

"Just a hunch," he answered, keeping a close watch on the results.

Ayrmin barked. Startled, Flurry turned in her seat, craning her head around to look at him. He barked again.

"Ayrmin, what is it?"

Zero moved out of the way as she stood, gazing back at Tourian's dog. He barked one more time, growling low in his throat. Her eyes grew worried. "Zero, something's wrong. He only did this once before -" Her statement ended in a shriek when Zero shoved her to the ground, yelling a warning.

He was flat on the ground beside her when the console blew up. She screamed and threw her hands over her head as sparks spattered all over the place. Zero got up slowly, stepping around her to approach the console with infinite care. She rose after him, fear etching her face.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"Dunno. The scan was just getting to the systems that control your time warping - and everything went red-light."

She glanced at his grim face. "I think we need to get Tourian and X," she whispered.

\--

"Jeepers, Roll - what happened to you?"

Roll sniffed haughtily, pulling bits of the potted plant out of her hair, and stalked into the kitchen. "Never mind," she said flatly.

Rock grinned, following her. "If you won't tell me, it must be pretty bad," he laughed. "Did you trip over the vacuum cleaner power cord?"

"No," she growled, "Just shut up, okay?"

He sighed. "Is this still about those four?"

"Hmmphf."

"Did you say something to them?"

"Urrgh."

"Did one of them knock you down because you pissed him off?"

She stopped, back turned to him, and tapped her fingers slowly on the counter. "Rock, I'm giving you five seconds to get your hind end out of here before I get REALLY mad."

"Bingo," he grinned, and sauntered out, whistling cheerfully to himself.

Upon reentering the living room, he saw Flurry and Zero coming back inside, hers an expression of worry, his an expression of fury. They strode past him without a word, headed back to the bedrooms. He followed them. They rapped on the door to one of the rooms, and received no response. Growling, Zero kicked the door open and yelled something incoherent at the occupants of the room, who were just waking up.

"Geez, Zero," X groaned. "You'd think the whole world was gonna end -"

"Shut up, X," Flurry snapped. "Something's wrong with Zephyr. The whole console blew up!"

"WHAT!" Tourian yelled. "What did you do to it?"

"We ran a virus scan, dim," Zero retorted.

"We'd better get out there."

Flurry nodded and turned. "Hey!" she yelled, seeing Rock, "What do you want?"

Rock shook his head. "Nothing. I was just wondering what was going on," he said innocently.

Her expression was frankly skeptical. "We're just trying to fix our stupid machine," she said in answer, and the four of them ran past him to the doors outside.

He watched them in silence, wondering if Roll might be right about them. But they certainly didn't act like Wily's 'bots. Not that that meant anything.

\--

"We're gonna have to redo the whole console -"

"Replace a bunch of these components -"

"That's not so bad. They weren't very good in the first place . . . ."

"What year was this made?"

"Uh, 2080."

"What?"

Flurry and Zero watched in silence as X and Tourian puttered around the damaged console. The two had been jabbering in that fashion for the past fifteen minutes, trying to decide what to keep, what was irreparably damaged, and what had needed replacing anyway. Tourian was working underneath the console, while X took a look at the damage above. They finally stood up, nodded to each other, and turned to the other two.

Flurry cocked her head curiously. "Well?"

X's manner became brusque and businesslike. "We need you and Zero to go get some stuff for us." And he promptly snapped off a list that numbered nearly in the hundreds, and the two he was speaking to looked at each other, then at him, then at each other again.

Flurry heaved a deep sigh when he was finished. "Whatever."

Zero groaned. "Now we're doing the grunt work?"

"Well," Tourian said slowly.

"In a manner of speaking," X remarked.

"You don't know the first thing about the internal schematics!" Flurry accused her counterpart.

He looked injured. "I do too. Downloaded all the files."

"Oh, shut up." Without another word, she stalked outside, and Zero followed her.

"I see only one problem with this little arrangement," Zero remarked. When Flurry gave him a questioning look, he shrugged. "We have to ask for directions."


	28. Robots Behaving Badly

"G'morning, Doc!" Rock called, watching the scientist make his way into the dining area with his friend. "Ready for breakfast?"

Dr. Light smiled at him and shook his head in answer. "I believe we can wait for Kalinka, don't you?"

"She's still asleep?" Roll sounded surprised.

"Yes. The journey was a bit strenuous."

"Especially," Cossack added in his rumbling Russian accent, "since we were attacked at the airport."

"What?" the robots cried simultaneously. Rock stood up straight, staring at them both, and Roll nearly dropped the food she was carrying on the ground. "Why didn't you say something?" Rock demanded.

Cossack shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "It was late. We didn't want to worry anyone. Worry is bad for the soul - not to mention sleep."

"Was it Wily?" Roll asked sharply, glaring at her brother.

"In all probability, yes," Light informed them calmly. "But we believe it was just a scare tactic this time."

Roll jabbed her brother in the ribs. "Are you gonna tell them?" she hissed. "Or do I have to?"

"Tell us what?" Light asked, concerned.

Rock scratched his head nervously. "Uh, remember that machine last night?" he asked seriously.

The two scientists nodded.

"Well, there was something - someone - in it."

Light looked at him steadily.

At that moment, Zero and Flurry burst into the room. "Um," Flurry began, "do you know where there's a good electronics store?"

Silence greeted her question, and she shifted from foot to foot uneasily. Rock glanced anxiously at Dr. Light, who was staring in silence at the two visitors. He finally spoke up.

"Um, Doc. These are two of the someones . . . I was - telling you about." He hung his head lamely.

Dr. Light nodded at him slowly, watching Flurry and Zero.

"We don't really have time for introductions right now," Zero said impatiently. "If you don't know a good store, we'll just go find one ourselves."

They still received no direct response, so Zero muttered something rude and took Flurry by the arm, half-dragging her to the front door.

"Wait a minute," Roll called. "Try the one on Main and 5th."

Flurry nodded at her as she was pulled out the door. The entire room was silent for a long moment after the door slammed shut, until Light finally turned to his creation, Rock, for an explanation.

\--

"Zero! Let me go - right now!" Flurry strained backwards, trying to pull free of his grip, when he simply let go, and she tumbled to the ground. "Urrgh. Why'd you have to do that, anyway?" she demanded.

"Main and 5th?" he asked her, "Is that what she said?"

Flurry got up, rubbing her arm resentfully. "Yeah."

"Then let's get moving," he ordered.

They looked at each other for a moment, amusement playing across their faces. "I haven't had a good run in a long time," Flurry remarked, and they took off.

\--

The sun glinted brightly off his black armor as he sank down to one knee, watching the figures who raced down the dirt road, raising a considerable cloud of dust. A grin flickered faintly across his face. "Well, Gospel," he muttered softly to the wolf-like figure at his side, "what do you think of that?"

The dog rumbled softly, flopping his tail.

"I think they're moving a little too fast for humans. The boss is gonna want to hear about this one." He flipped out a hand radio, restraining a low mutter at the primitive devices Dr. Wily insisted on using. "Yo, Doc."

"What?" demanded a rasping German accent.

Forte grinned sardonically. "Hey, Al," he greeted the man.

"I've told you before - I am Dr. Wily - not Al, not Doc. DR. WILY!" The evil scientist's temper had been deteriorating rapidly lately.

"Cool it, Doc. I found something you might want to know about."

"What, Forte? Tell me quickly. I have work to do."

Forte held back a growl of annoyance. "I was checkin' out Doc Light's place, and a couple of people just zoomed by here. I think they were robots."

"So? Rock and Roll again?"

"No," the black robot said flatly. "I'd know Rock if I saw him. These two are new." He grinned again, and Gospel gave a low rumble. "Send me out some of your little myrmidons, and I'll get to work on tracking them down."

"Very well, Forte. If you must track down one of your - wild geese - then have at it. I will send you three robots. No more than that."

Forte frowned fiercely. Jerk. I'll show you some wild geese. "All right, Doc. Tell them to meet me at point seven - full holographic camouflage."

The doctor did not reply before cutting off the radio signal, and Forte barely kept himself from smashing the radio to the ground. He looked up and around. Point seven - as it had been designated - was a run-down factory building, long since condemned. Muttering a curse out of sheer spite, he warped away, gone in a blur of black.

Upon reaching point seven, he was greeted by the three robots he had been promised. And he moaned. Gutsman - clumsy oaf. He wouldn't know what he was looking for if it jumped up and bit him on the nose. Shade - cripes. Even full holographic camouflage couldn't hide that wingspan. Slash - now, there was someone he could probably deal with. A little hyper around the edges, but he could work around that. He rubbed the spot between his eyes, trying to think of a polite way to say what he was trying to say.

He gave up on it.

"What - were you the only ones he could spare?" he snapped finally.

Gutsman glared at him, raising his fist threateningly. He could never think of a comeback fast enough.

Slashman rumbled warningly. "We can just as easily leave, Forte," he purred darkly.

Shade rustled his wings. "Mm. And I thought we were friends."

"Listen, folks," Forte said, not listening to them. "Wily sent you to help me track down a couple of characters I saw." He paused, looking at each of them to establish his authority. "I have good reason to believe they're robots."

"So?" Gutsman said in his plodding voice. "There are lots of robots around here."

Forte glared at him. "Shaddap, Gutsy, before I send you back to latrine duty. These guys are a little different." Gospel whined from behind him, but he paid the hound no mind. "I'll transmit the data to you once you get in position. Shade's with me. Slash, you and Gutsy head out to Main and 5th. Keep a close watch on anyone who enters that electronics store. Got it?"

They all nodded.

"Then get going."

Slash and Gutsman warped out, holographic camouflage appearing around them, and Shade stepped forward. "And what are we going to do?" he asked pleasantly.

Forte grimaced. "Pick up the mess they make."

Shade chuckled softly, and Gospel uttered a mournful howl.

"What is it, mutt?" Forte demanded. The dog wagged at him, tongue lolling out. His ears flipped back and forth uncertainly. "What's the matter with you?" He rolled his eyes. "Just what I need. My attack dog's getting cold feet." He turned to Shade. "Let's get to Main Street. We're bound to see one of them."

Shade nodded in agreement, and they were gone.

\--

Flurry and Zero skidded to a halt just outside the city. Flurry shaded her eyes, gazing out over it. "Wow," she murmured. "It's so - clean!"

Zero gave her a funny look, staring cautiously at the tendrils of smoke and smog that circled through the air. Compared to his home - former home, this was filthy. Polluting, fossil fuel cars and whatever else was out on the road in this time period, not to mention -

"I mean for a major city," Flurry was saying. "Of course, I only went to one once - but the air was so thick you couldn't cut it with a chainsaw."

Zero nodded carefully. "Let's head in there," he suggested. "I'll scout out some other stores. You try the one on Main."

Flurry shrugged noncommittally, eyes still glued on the city. "Sure. Just remember to keep a low profile."

"Always do," he grinned.

She looked at him, startled, then shook her head. "I knew that didn't sound right," she told him. "Let's dig up a phone book - I don't know where Main Street is."

They found a phone booth in due time, and they were thumbing thoughtfully through the pages, when Zero glanced up sharply. "Don't look now," he murmured, "but we're being watched."

Flurry gave no sign that she had heard him, except to answer, "Humans?"

"I'm not sure. Keep your guard up." He stood up straight, looking silently at the phone book. "I'll take those . . . four," he said, pointing to one section of the book. "They're all in the same general area, and they aren't that far. I'll cover the second half of that list," he added as an afterthought.

Flurry nodded in agreement. "I'll take the ones down Main."

\--

Forte looked at the two of them sharply. "Hey, Shade."

He heard the vampire's wings rustle in response.

"The girl's headed to where the others are stationed. Let's follow him."


	29. The Chase Scene

The store on Main and 5th was only a short jog from the phone booth, so Flurry went at a lazy walk, figuring she could reach it in under fifteen minutes. As she made her way up the street, she nearly missed a step, feeling a cold ripple run up her spine. Someone's keeping an eye on me. She gave no outward sign of noticing, only increasing her speed a little.

As she hurried down the street, she noted something out of the corner or her eye. Two figures, shadowing her. One was incredibly bulky, like he lived in a gym or something, and the other was smaller, lithe and wiry. Bet they think I'll be easy to mug. Teach them. She increased her speed again.

The electronics store appeared, and she bounded inside, suddenly worried sick about her prospective muggers. I'm gonna be carrying sensitive equipment! Blast it!

She was gazing silently out the huge glass window, wondering where the pair had disappeared to, when someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped and spun around, balling her hands into fists. The young man held up his hands in a placating gesture and grinned at her.

"Hey, sorry. I was wondering if you needed any help." He tossed his head, swinging a lock of blond hair out of his eyes.

Flurry smiled wanly. "I'm sorry. Just a little - jumpy."

"No prob," he replied, shrugging easily. "Now, uh, did you just hop in here to get out of the sun - or did you need something?"

She looked uncertain for a moment, glancing him up and down. The name tag pinned to his shirt read, "Brandon," and it was a little crooked, marked on and peeling. He had an easy manner that made her a bit more comfortable, even in her situation. She glanced around the shop. It was small, and the paint was peeling a little on the walls. There was a counter in the corner with a cash register and a couple of chairs on the far wall. No electronics were displayed, and the posters on the walls listed prices.

"I was wondering if you had any - um - cable?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Any kind - or did you have something specific in mind?"

Flurry burst into giggles and read off the half of the list that she had been given. Brandon stood there for a minute, trying to soak it all in. He shook his head.

"Let me get Nick out here - he'll know all that better than me." He turned around and yelled at the back room. "Hey, Nick! We've got a customer out here - needs some help!"

"Coming!" A moment later, another young man burst out of the back room, skidding to a halt as he saw Brandon. "What is it?"

"Read it off - uh." He glanced at her.

"Flurry," she told him, and read the list off to Nick, who nodded every once in a while. "Um, do you have any of that?" she asked finally.

"Most of it," he informed her. "Everything except the last two, I think." With that said, he bounded off to the back room to collect the items she had named.

Brandon tapped his right temple. "Mind like a computer, man." Then he paused. "You memorized that whole list?" he asked.

"Actually, that's only half of it," she replied absently, not heeding her words. "My friend has the other - uh, I mean -" She looked up at the young man, but he had already walked over to the cash register.

"We-e-ell. That's gonna be some cash total."

Flurry's eyes went wide. Of all the things to forget! "I don't have any money," she whispered, feeling like a fool.

Brandon looked up at her. "No money." He looked at her steadily. "Hey, Nick! Forget about that stuff!"

Flurry's face grew chagrined. "But - I need that stuff! It's my only way home!"

"Look, man," Brandon said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but we can't just let you have over five - six hundred dollars' worth of equipment. The manager would kill us."

Nick came out of the back room, bearing electronics devices of every shape and kind in his arms. Flurry glanced at him, back at Brandon.

"Look, can't you just bill us?"

"Bill you?"

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"I don't think we can bill you," Brandon said.

"But -"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "Where are you staying?"

"I - over at Dr. Light's?" she said to him.

He stared at her for a moment. "D-doc Light?" He shook his head. "Sorry - I didn't realize! All right." He turned to Nick, who was still looking at them both in befuddlement. "Get the rest of the stuff." He grinned, tossing Flurry a thumbs-up. "No prob. The doc's an old customer. Rock comes by here all the time."

Flurry's mouth tilted in a faint smile. Nick had set the equipment carefully on the floor and darted back to the storeroom. Brandon looked thoughtfully at the huge pile.

"You know," he said, "I could probably load all that in my truck and drive it up to the lab." He looked up. "Won't cost any extra."

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded firmly. "That would probably be best. Um, can that be done today?"

"Yeah, sure. Soon as I get off shift." He leaned against the counter, grinning roguishly. "Shouldn't be too long."

Nick returned with the rest of the stuff, and he set it down with a heavy sigh. "You know, that total is going to be something else!" He flopped down in a rickety chair, yawning.

Brandon turned to him. "Nick, load that in the truck and give me a total. I'll deliver it and a bill as soon as Emily takes over for me."

Nick nodded, yawning again. "Five minutes."

Flurry smiled gratefully, turning to go. She stopped, catching sight of the figure leaning lazily against the glass. It was the smaller of the two, but she saw the larger saunter past to the other side of the door. She trembled, unable to move or even think for a moment. Crap - they're waiting for me. I'll never be able to get past them.

Brandon walked up beside her. "Those two friends of yours?" he asked doubtfully, and she shook her head wordlessly. "We've got a back door. You can leave that way."

She looked at him, nodding gratefully.

As they disappeared into the back room, Flurry heard the distinctive sound of shattering glass. She almost turned, fearing what she might see, but Brandon grabbed her arm and took off running, dragging her along.

"What about -"

"Nick can hold 'em off," he snapped. "We've gotta get you outside."

The door came into sight a bare two seconds later, and Brandon threw her toward it fiercely. "Get moving!" he shouted, hearing them come crashing into the back. "I'll think of something."

Flurry hesitated for a moment, but ran outside, trying to convince herself that she wasn't abandoning those two humans to their deaths. The thugs were after her, without a doubt, but how worried were they about -

She looked desperately both directions down the alley. Where do I go? She heard a crashing noise just behind her and scrambled in the direction that led back to Main Street. I've gotta find Zero. She pounded down the alley, dust kicking up in her footsteps. A shout from behind spun her around, whipping her hair into her face. As it dropped away, she saw the two figures take on a sudden glow.

"Robots!" she hissed.

They stepped out of the shadows, and she gasped. "What - who - !"

"Get her!" bellowed the big one.

Flurry scrambled insanely to the street and stopped, looking desperately at the racing traffic. Oh, why me! Hearing the two approaching fast behind her, she took a flying leap into the middle of the road. She landed on the hood of one of the cars with a crunch and immediately sprang to the next, making her way across a six-lane road in that fashion. She heard startled screams behind her as she landed on the other side.

Her pursuers were not nearly so agile. The big one wasn't, at least. The smaller was bounding across the car hoods more easily than she had, but the other was smashing fenders in a fierce attempt to push through traffic.

Flurry heaved a deep breath and ran off down the next alley. They were even closer than before now, and she doubled her speed out of sheer desperation, not really caring whether they knew she was a robot. Her next sensation was off something sizable and heavy slamming into her back and pitching her forward. She skidded in the dirt, clawing at the ground in an attempt to stop her motion, and slammed into the large metal object that had been thrown at her.

"Ow-w-w!" she moaned.

"Ha!" roared the big one. "I got her!"

The smaller one pawed at his arm in annoyance. "Not human! Forte was right!"

"Shuttup, Slash. I don't care if Forte was right!"

Slash growled at him. "Oh - then tell that to him when we meet next, Gutsman!"

Flurry raised herself up on her arms, trembling with pain. She tucked her knees up against her chest and staggered to her feet, taking a threatening stance. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she rocked forward, ready to fight. The other two noticed her, and Slash jabbed his hand at her. Gutsman looked furious.

"That should've knocked her out!" he shouted. "Boy, I'm gonna slam her so hard -"

At that point, a curious murmur of music filled the air. Flurry glanced around, trying to discover its origin, and a blur of red and grey landed in front of her. She stumbled back, but the robot clearly wasn't paying any attention to her.

"You know," he was saying thoughtfully, "you boys ought to learn how to treat a lady."

Flurry glared. She was sick of being referred to as 'a lady.'

"What do you want?" Gutsman yelled. "We don't need your help, here!"

Slash tilted his head at the visitor. "What do you want? We have business to conduct, you understand."

"Sorry." The robot didn't sound sorry at all. "Your business with her is finished, got it? Now, you run back home to Doc Wily and tell him you're terribly sorry." The robot set the shield he had been carrying on the ground. "Or I can send you back. Your choice."

Gutsman glowered for a moment, and Slash chattered his teeth in annoyance, but they both turned and walked out of the alley, leaving Flurry alone with the strange intruder.

He turned around, allowing her to see his face - or not see it. He wore a visor that covered his eyes, but not the sardonic grin on his face.

Flurry immediately sprang to attack him, yelling out a war cry, but he jumped aside, grin fading into a look of surprise. "Now that's some gratitude!" he remarked. "I'd really hate to be on your bad side."

Flurry blew her hair out of her face, gazing at him in annoyance. "Who are you?" she asked darkly.

The grin returned, and he picked up his shield. "Now we're getting somewhere. I'm Blues. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Flurry," she said calmly.

"Yeah. I knew that." He glanced around. "Well, I'd better make sure those two went home like I told them."

Without another word, he warped away, and Flurry could only stare at the spot where he'd been standing.


	30. The Other Chase Scene

Zero walked out onto the sidewalk, running over the list in his head. He had taken care of all the items - and told the stores to hang on to them for a couple hours while he found some way to get them back to the lab. He had to hand it to Dr. Light; his name carried a lot of clout with these people. As one had informed him, "The government pays for his projects, so we're sure to get some money out of the deal." Zero wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it certainly sounded encouraging.

He glanced around, wondering if Flurry had taken care of her part of the list, and stopped. He was being watched again. If that isn't all I need. He yawned studiously, and headed lazily back in Main Street's general direction. Now, if I can just get these clowns to attack me somewhere out of human view. . . .

Boredom in his step, he headed for a nearby alley. The things were dreadfully convenient. He smiled, thumbing his saber as he entered the shadowy, gravel area. Those guys don't have a clue what they're in for -

The thought stopped abruptly as something swooped out of the darkness ahead. Zero dove for the ground, rolling to his feet and snapping his saber out. The creature that had attacked him settled to the ground and bowed politely.

"Who the heck -" Zero began.

"What?" demanded a mocking voice from behind him. "We're just the local welcoming committee!"

Zero half-spun, making sure he could still see the first one as the second came into his view. A black robot whose flaring helmet was banded with gold color wagged a finger scornfully. A purple-armored, wolf-looking creature came to its feet beside him.

"Some welcome," Zero grumbled.

The robot laughed heartily. "Hey, I've just got a couple of questions - and then you can be on your way."

"Perhaps the good doctor would prefer to question him," purred the robot from his other side.

"No," the black one snapped sullenly, crossing his arms. "I found him, Shade. Dr. Wily can just wait his turn."

Shade bowed again. "As you say, Forte."

Zero had taken the opportunity to back away from them and get his back against the fence. From there, he shut off his saber and took a lazy stance. "Your questions?" he asked, not intending to answer a one.

Forte grinned, returning his attention to his quarry. "First off, I want to know your name."

Zero lifted an eyebrow and proceeded to inspect the dirt at his feet. "Julius Caesar."

Forte leaned back a bit. "That's funny," he said flatly. "What's your name?"

Zero yawned at him. "Go on to the next question, will you? I haven't got all day."

The robot took a threatening step forward, but then stopped. All right, he thought, I'll play your little game. "Where'd you come from?"

"Munchkin Land. Next question."

Forte frowned. This robot clearly wasn't feeling threatened at all. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see the little piggies playing in the dirt." Zero scuffed the dirt, glancing up absently. "Next?"

"How'd you get here?"

"Took a wrong turn on 21st and Sycamore."

"What were you doing in that electronics store?"

"Looking for a new boombox."

"Where do you live?"

"Way out there in TV land."

Forte, finally fed up with this mockery, snarled out, "Who created you - and why are you pretending to be human?"

Zero stopped. He stood straight, calmly measuring up his opponent. His face was expressionless, masking the feeling of cold rage that worked at him. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he answered coolly.

Forte grinned again. "So - who created you?"

"If that was any of your business, don't you think I would have told you by now?"

"Was it Dr. Light? Dr. Wily?"

"Dr. Who?" Zero asked pleasantly.

Forte spun sharply, turning his back to the strange robot. Zero grinned at him. "You know," he said, "it's never wise to turn your back to an enemy." The whole thing was wearing thin for him, and he absently clicked his lightsaber back on. "Listen, buddy," he said flatly, "If you want a fight, you most certainly have it - so turn around and let's get on with it, shall we?"

Forte turned sharply, glaring at the robot. "What is your name?" he asked darkly. "I'm only asking one, last time."

Zero shrugged. "I'm Zero. As if it mattered."

Forte grinned. "You're right. It doesn't matter. But at least you're doing what I tell you."

Zero laughed at him. "I answered your question. I'm not doing anything else." He turned and started to walk away, holding his lightsaber ready.

"You said not to turn your back to an enemy," Forte said drily. "You were right."

Zero spun sharply, catching the expected shot on the lightsaber's blade. It ricocheted back, smashing Forte in the chest. He heard a rustling noise from behind him and saw the other robot diving at him. He jumped to one side, swinging out his saber to slash at Shade's wing. Shade fell, tumbling head over heels to land near Forte, who had been knocked backwards by the blow he had received. Gospel roared to his feet and charged at Zero, ignoring Forte's shout.

"Gospel! GET BACK HERE!" He struggled to his feet, shoving Shade aside. "Gospel!"

Zero held his lightsaber steady, prepared to cut the dog down in mid-leap, but he caught sight of something that made him stop. Forte was diving forward in sheer desperation, trying to catch hold of the dog before he was out of range. Trying to save that dog's life. Their eyes met for the barest moment. In the next instant, Zero shut off his saber and brought his fist up, sending the dog reeling backwards without any permanent damage.

Zero turned on his heel and walked out of the alley, slipping the saber away.

Forte made no move to follow him.

\--

After a long moment, Forte rose, walking quietly over to his dog. The defeat stung him to the depths of his soul, but that didn't matter. Gospel whined at him, flopping his unlikely tail. He creaked to his feet, swiping his tongue at his master's hand.

Shade got to his feet, flapping his injured wing forlornly. He said nothing.

"Let's head back to Dr. Wily," Forte muttered finally. "He'll want to know about this."

They warped out without another word.

\--

Zero broke into a run after he cleared the alley. If someone had attacked him, someone must have gone after Flurry.

\--

Brandon slammed the door to his truck, leaning forward against the steering wheel. Nick was settled comfortably in the next seat over, having piled all that equipment into the back. He buckled himself in.

"Well, you're off shift. Let's go."

Brandon sat back, turning the key in the ignition. "Yeah, yeah," he said as the engine rumbled into life. "Can't help wondering what's going on," he remarked.

Nick laughed, a touch nervously. "Hey, we're just delivery guys. Don't worry about it."

"Guess you're right." He moved the truck out of the alley and headed for the back road that led to Dr. Light's lab. If nothing else, they were bound to get paid for this.

Most of the trip was made in silence, except for Nick's passing comment on how peaceful the area was. "No wonder Doc likes it here."

Brandon was nodding in agreement, when he saw something that made him slam the brakes, an expression of utter horror washing over his face. The lab was smoking, a whole wall collapsed to the inside. The cause of the destruction was nowhere in sight, but a human was slumped under the rubble, groaning in pain.

He jumped out of the truck, followed closely by his friend. "Dr. Light!" he yelled. "Doc!" He stopped, suddenly realizing that the human was not the scientist he was hailing. "Gaw," he muttered. "Who is he?"

Nick hurried up beside him. "Look! Rock's over there."

"Rock!" he yelled. "What happened?"

The robot turned to him and ran over, shaking his head sharply. "You guys get out of here. It's too dangerous to have you around." Ignoring their startled protests, he snapped, "You can make your deliveries later! Get going!"

The two ran back to the truck and screeched back to the store.

\--

"Flurry!"

She spun sharply, catching sight of Zero, who was running up the street. She waved and ran toward him, falling in beside him as he slowed.

"Flurry, are you all right?" he asked, worry showing in his face.

"I'm a little sore," she admitted quietly. "Someone attacked you, too?"

He nodded slowly. "Let's head back to the lab."

They ran up the street, giving up on any pretense of human speed. Flurry yelped, barely dodging an old man, who shook his cane at them furiously. She covered a giggle, and Zero shook his head at her.

They hit the dirt road and made every effort to go faster, kicking enough dirt into the air to make it look like the wind had been blowing. Halfway to the lab, a pickup roared out of nowhere, nearly clipping Flurry, who sprang into the air and jumped over it. She landed with a thud next to Zero, and they stared after the speeding vehicle as it scrambled madly back to the town. Flurry would have stood there much longer if Zero hadn't taken her by the wrist and dragged her the rest of the way to the lab.

Upon reaching it, he released her, expression turning to one of dismay and disbelief. "What h-happened?!"

Flurry's hands flew to her mouth, eyes going wide.

The inconceivable hole glared out at them, stones smoking with inexplicable heat. The lab was wrecked - at least part of it. Then, Flurry saw the figure in the rubble.

"Tourian!" she screamed.

Rock suddenly spun from where he was working, seeing Flurry skid and drop to her knees beside her fallen friend. Zero rushed up and stood beside her, eyes grim.

"What happened here?" he asked.

Before Rock could answer him, Flurry raised a shaking arm.

"Zero, Zephyr's gone!"


	31. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch ...

Rock nodded grimly. He had walked over and was gazing darkly at them both. "Yup. Your ship's gone. Took off right after smashing a hole in the building." He smiled coldly at them both. "I hope you aren't planning to leave the country anytime soon."

Zero watched the small robot walk away with a low growl. "What a jerk."

Flurry stared numbly at Tourian, who twitched ever so slightly, coming back to life. A low whine came from nearby, and Ayrmin limped up, nudging Flurry's arm.

"Tourian, wake up!" Flurry slapped at his cheek, ignoring Zero. "Come on, Tourian!"

He groaned. "Gaw. What - no!" He sat up, dislodging some of the rocks he was buried under. "Flurry!" He took hold of her arm. "X is in that thing! We didn't get any warning -"

"What?" Zero snarled. "X is still in that ship?"

Tourian nodded. "I don't know what happened!" he moaned. "One minute we were salvaging what was left of that console - and then Zephyr's in the air, plowing into the building. I got knocked out, and X - I dunno what happened to him. Ayrmin jumped out after me - I don't know where he is. I don't know what happened to the other two - I don't know!" His voice was full of desperate confusion, fear, self-accusation.

"It's all right," Flurry whispered. "We'll find a way to get them back." She got up, pulling Tourian to his feet with her.

Zero nodded slowly. "We'll find them." He turned to where Rock and his companions were at work, calling out Rock's name.

The robot, now in his battle armor, made a face before running over. "What do you want?" he asked sharply. "We've got work to do."

"Where'd that ship take off to?" Zero demanded.

"I don't know. Somewhere east of here." The youngish robot tilted his head. "You gonna look for it?"

Zero nodded. "Flurry. You and Tourian stay put for a little bit. I'll scout around and come back when I find something."

Flurry shook her head. "You'll come back in two hours. And you'll take Ayrmin with you. Got it?"

The red robot winced. "Do I have to take Ayrmin?"

"Yeah," Tourian said weakly. "He won't bite you. Honest."

Finally, Zero agreed grudgingly. "All right. He can come. But he'd better keep up, or he'll be left in the dirt."

Tourian patted his dog on the head, and the animal's tongue lolled out happily. "Ayrmin. You go with Zero, okay? Do what he says."

Ayrmin cocked his head curiously at his master. He whined softly, flopping his tail. Tourian shoved him over at Zero, and he walked over uncertainly. He woofed out a question, and Tourian nodded encouragingly. "Treat him like you do me." Ayrmin looked at Zero, who was frowning nervously. "No biting, boy." Ayrmin's face broke into a doggy grin, and Zero's mouth twitched in a faint smile.

"I'll be back in a bit," he said calmly, and then he was gone, running full tilt at the trees around them. Ayrmin yarfed at him sharply and followed, tongue lolling out in the wind. The dog was deliriously happy to be running again.

Flurry and Tourian turned silently to Rock, who had witnessed everything without a word. "Is there any way we can help?" Flurry asked.

His expression was immediately suspicious, but it softened for a moment, and he nodded. "Start hauling these rocks out of the way." He gestured vaguely at an empty patch of dirt. "There's a wheelbarrow somewhere around here for the small ones, and I'll take care of the rest."

The two disguised robots nodded.


	32. Tracks in the Forest

Following Zephyr's trail had not proved to be the difficult part of his task; finding the trail had been. Zero had changed back into his armor as soon as he was out of sight of the lab. The huge rent in its side would certainly be of no help, but some protection was better than none. He had followed a track vaguely eastward ever since he had lost sight of the others. Apparently, the time machine had cruised high enough about the trees that it hadn't crashed into anything at the start its journey, but about half a mile into the woods, it had smashed down through the canopy.

He gazed curiously around at the broken branches littering the formerly empty clearing. Who taught you how to drive? he demanded of whoever was piloting the ship. Farther on, the bark had been stripped from a huge oak tree, and another tree had been ripped right out of the ground and was lying, shattered, across the clearing.

Zero whistled sharply to Ayrmin, and the dog barked at him. "Oh, come on, mutt!" he snapped, impatient to be moving again. "Whaddya smell?"

The dog barked again, pawing a spot under the fallen tree.

"What?" He walked over to look at what was interesting the animal so much.

Ayrmin whined, beginning to dig worriedly.

"Here - move out of my way." Zero crouched down and pushed his hands under the tree, trying to get a good grip on it. Gritting his teeth, he hauled it up, straining, and Ayrmin darted underneath, snatching something out. "Are you finished?"

Without waiting for a response, he dropped the tree with violent snapping sound. He turned to see what the dog had found and could only stare for a moment. A robotic bird was dangling limply from his jaws, to all appearances, dead. Ayrmin whined again, wagging his tail nervously. Zero thought for a moment, figuring a way to get both animals off his hands.

"Ayrmin - you take the bird back to Flurry and Tourian, got it?"

The dog cocked his head, ears flipping.

"Get going!" Zero yelled.

Ayrmin crouched to the ground, rumbling softly, but he took off running. Zero watched him go, shaking his head. Now I can get on with this. He stepped past the fallen tree, gazing on to other torn branches and gashed tree trunks. "Well," he thought aloud, "either this person doesn't know how to fly a time machine, or he's deliberately leaving a trail for me."

Or it could be neither. Zero shrugged the thought away and set off again, picking his way carefully through the shattered forest.

\--

X cried out softly. He was lying on the floor, wedged under the pilot's seat with his body twisted in an uncomfortable position. He tried to move away from the chair but found himself held firmly in place by the power of Zephyr's forward motion. Stubbornly, he tried again, face contorting as he pushed himself around the chair.

Once there, he lay still for a long moment, thinking about what had happened. He and Tourian had been pulling the console apart, trying to get their hands on anything that could possibly be of use to them. He had been working underneath the area, removing one of the panels that shielded the equipment within, when suddenly Tourian yelled.

"X - something's stuck. Can you reach up and shove it for me?"

X did so, trying to work whatever it was loose from the wires that bound it, when an electrical discharge smashed into his arm. He howled, jerking his arm away, and Tourian asked if he was okay.

"Fine," he gritted, "I'm fine. See if that helped any."

Tourian reached back inside, and suddenly everything went haywire. Zephyr's engines suddenly activated, and the repulsors lifted off. The violent motions slammed X underneath the console, and then knocked him out again, hitting Tourian and sending him flying. He had managed to hang on for a moment, when the time machine took a flying run at the lab building. Tourian howled something, and the impact with the building threw him completely out of the vehicle. Zephyr slammed the wall several more times, each one threatening to make X lose his lunch and finally knocking him unconscious.

He tried to move, wincing at his aching joints, and slowly got to his feet. Zephyr gave a slight shudder, crashing against something, and he lost his balance. Fallen to the floor, he inched forward on his belly, trying to get to the pilot's seat. With more effort than he ever would have admitted to, he pulled himself into the seat and strapped in, closing his eyes and willing the mad flight to be over.

\--

Zero jumped another fallen tree, slowing his speed slightly. It had been over an hour, and he would have to return to the lab soon, but he kept on running, determined to catch up with that crazy machine - and his friend. There was no way he was going to let some scientist's half-baked invention destroy his best friend and partner. No way. After a moment's thought, he decided to disregard Flurry's order. He'd sent Ayrmin back, and he was determined not to return until he found the Zephyr.

\--

Flurry leaned against the pile of rocks she and Tourian had constructed, staring vaguely into the forest where Zero had disappeared. Tourian sat down beside her, yawning tremendously. "Do you think they're going to kick us out?" he asked her, glancing up at her face.

"Mm?" She looked down from where she stood, sighing from the depths of her soul. "Probably. They won't trust us at all, now."

She stared out at the forest again. It had been about a half hour, and Rock had instructed them to take a break from their labor. She wasn't really worried about Zero, knowing for a fact that he would probably stay out there a lot longer than she'd told him, but an angry bark drew her attention.

Rush, Rock's red-armored canine, was yammering hysterically at something approaching from the east. Flurry stood up straight, straining to see it. A familiar wolfish figure loped up the hill toward them, carrying something in its mouth.

"Ayrmin!" Tourian cried, rising beside her.

The dog wagged his way over, looking guilty about something, and dropped his cargo on the ground.

"Jackdaw!" Flurry exclaimed, bending down to lift the feebly cawing bird off the grass. "But where's Zero?" she demanded.

Ayrmin whined at her, lifting his paw up and thumbing his muzzle shamefully.

Flurry's jaw dropped. "You mean -"

"Hey!" Roll called to them, coming around the corner of the lab. "What's going on over there?" She jogged up, huffing in an overdramatic display of weariness.

Flurry shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Just our dog."

Roll nodded. "That's what I said. But Rock insisted that Rush only goes ballistic for a good reason." She grinned lop-sidedly. "Gotta be a guy thing, right?"

Flurry laughed despite her worries, agreeing wholeheartedly. As her laughter faded, sorrow returned to her eyes. With Zephyr gone, their only way home had vanished. And along with Zephyr, the two they needed to go home with them. Zero, X, you'd better be taking care of yourselves. And get back here alive!

Roll was smiling kindly. "Don't worry, Flurry," she said, patting her arm comfortingly. "They'll make it back."

Flurry smiled in return, and Roll ran off again, shouting to her brother that it had been a false alarm. Tourian heaved a deep sigh. "I guess it's back to work, then," he muttered, and Flurry nodded quietly.


	33. Quarry

Zero paused. Something didn't ring quite right around here. He looked about uneasily. The trees were ripped up in the same fashion as before, if nothing else more savagely, the sod gashed as Zephyr plowed occasionally into the ground. But something was different.

He sniffed the air suddenly. A hazy, oily smell pervaded the atmosphere, and a greyish smoke spread through the area like a visible plague, filtering out between the trees ahead. He swallowed back a moan of dismay and scrambled in that direction.

Zephyr had crushed into a tree, tearing it from its roots. Smoke leaked from inside the ship, and Zero heard the threatening crackle of a fire. He walked up to it slowly, leaning his head cautiously inside.

X was slumped over to one side in the pilot's seat, strapped to the chair and unconscious.

He couldn't have done this. He can't be responsible.

The console was burning, but not badly, and a low yowl drew his attention to the back. The cat, Tremor, was crawling toward the open door. Zero watched as he finally eased his way out of the ship, sprawling in a heap on the ground like a dead thing. Zero put one foot inside the machine, preparing to get X out of there, when the whole vehicle shuddered. He glanced at X. His friend was still unconscious.

Feeling stubborn, he put his foot more firmly on the floor of the ship and made to come inside. Zephyr lurched again, violently, as if trying to get away from him. The motion threw him backwards, and he staggered out of the way as the time machine hummed into life. It rose up and away from the tree, turning its bashed-in front in Zero's direction.

His jaw dropped. "Holy -"

He dove to the ground as Zephyr charged at him like a raging bull, a black beast from the bowels of hell itself. Zero gritted his teeth, rising to his feet and preparing to face off with it again.

\--

X was jolted awake by the feeling of the machine smashing into something - again. The first time that had happened, he'd been knocked unconscious for the second time, and now he struggled loose from the straps that held him in the seat. He had to get out of that ship. At this point, the thought of going home could not persuade him to try and sway the ship from its course. He stumbled over to the open door and stared out, unbelieving.

"Zero!"

Zero was dodging the ship in the only way he could, trying to figure out how to get inside and get X out. He hit the dirt and rolled, coming up in time to see the Zephyr flying at him one last time.

"Zero! Get down!"

The machine smashed him head-on, sending his body flying lifelessly farther into the forest. He bounced off a couple of trees before coming to rest, battered and unconscious.

X tried to jump out, but Zephyr flipped sideways, knocking him back in, and shut the side door, all of its own accord. X slumped where he had fallen, resigned to the ship's whims.

\--

"It's been two hours," Flurry said calmly, hiding all the frantic fear she was feeling, "and Zero isn't back." And if Zero wasn't back, that meant X and Zephyr and Tremor were still flying around out there with nothing to stop them.

Tourian nodded slowly. "We'd better go after them, huh?"

"Yup." Flurry walked calmly toward the area of the woods Zero had disappeared into, placing her hands on her hips. "He was in such a hurry, he probably left a trail a blind man could follow, so it shouldn't be too hard to find either of them."

They heard light footsteps behind them and turned.

Rock, Roll, and Kalinka were standing there. Roll was running the toe of her shoe through the dirt, looking uncertain about something, and Rock's face held his characteristically stubborn expression. Kalinka simply looked confused. Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack were approaching from the lab, expressions of calm and dignity on their faces. Flurry felt a chill.

"What is it?" Tourian asked coolly.

"Well," Roll started, "we - uh. We wanted to - thank you for helping us clean up, and - um. . . ."

"We want to know who you are and what you're doing here," Rock cut her off. "You've destroyed half the lab, and you're spending our money to get your machine fixed, and we want a reason for letting you."

Flurry bit her lip. "I had a feeling," she muttered, then looked up.

Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack were with them now, Cossack standing behind his daughter with his hands protectively on her shoulders. Dr. Light shifted slightly, speaking before anyone could say anything else.

"I don't feel that you meant for your machine to crash into my lab, but the repairs will cost money, and -"

"Yeah, yeah," Tourian muttered, shifting his eyes to Flurry's face. "We get it."

Flurry gave a deep sigh, trying to decide how much of the truth to tell them. Finally, she lifted her eyes to the defensive little group and started to speak. "Listen, and try to understand what I'm saying. You can't know who we are. It's critically important to everything you hold dear. But I can tell you why we're here. Our machine malfunctioned, and we came here instead of home. That's the truth. I don't know if I told you before, but it's the truth." She paused, taking in their skeptical expressions. "Please believe me."

Rock's expression softened first. "I believe you."

Roll shot him a look, but then she nodded. "I do, too."

"And me," Kalinka volunteered cheerfully.

The two scientists nodded at each other. "This sounds cleared up to me," laughed Dr. Cossack, "but what do I know?"

Dr. Light smiled kindly at them. "Now, are you going out to look for your friends?"

"Yeah. They've been gone longer than -" Flurry cut off with a shrug. "We're gonna head out after them."

"Do you need someone to come along?" Rock asked hopefully.

"No," Tourian said adamantly. "We'll find them ourselves. There's no need for any of you to put yourselves in danger on our account."

Flurry nodded in agreement. "We can take care of it. We've - uh - done this before," she laughed, remembering their mad attempts to keep X and Zero safe.

Rock still didn't look satisfied, but he let them leave anyway. Tourian whistled to Ayrmin, and Flurry told Jackdaw to stay put and keep an eye out. With that done, the two took off for the woods at a speed they figured humans could match. Once under the forest canopy, however, they donned their armor and took off as fast as they could.

Ayrmin barked frantically, telling them to slow down, even though he could keep up with them with very little effort. Jackdaw hovered around for a moment at the lab, finally settling on the pile of rocks Tourian and Flurry had built up that afternoon.

"You know, Roll," Rock said slowly to his sister, "I think you were right when you said there was something funny about those guys."

Roll didn't answer, but Light looked at his creation sharply.

"It's going to be dark soon," Kalinka murmured to her father. "I hope they make it back."

"I have no doubts that they will," he replied, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly.

Jackdaw crowed jeeringly, and a heavy cloud of doubt sank over them all.


	34. The Work of a Moment

Blues wandered incuriously through the halls of Wily's current fortress. Robots shouldered past him right and left, not so much ignoring him as leaving him alone. He recognized Gutsman and grinned. The big 'bot was headed back to the latrines.

He yawned, thinking about how Wily would react if he caught him wandering around again. Wily wasn't too fond of Blues. He didn't hate him nearly as much as he did Rock, but that was only because Blues rarely interfered with the scientist's plans. He left that up to his brother. Blues didn't like Wily one bit. Detested the man, in fact. He came into the fortresses Wily erected only every once in a while, just to see if Wily was making something his little bro couldn't handle. Wily knew that, of course, but he never tried to stop Blues. Not that he could, anyway. The red-and-grey robot laughed to himself. It was all a massive joke for him.

Glancing up momentarily, Blues was startled to find himself outside one of Wily's main labs. A large sign boasted to the hallway, "DO NOT ENTER! TOP SECRET WORK!"

Blues grinned. Sounds like my cup of tea. He stepped toward the door, but made no move to open it, betting there was enough security around that one entrance to cover the entire fortress twice. As he leaned over, he heard voices. Forte and Wily were arguing again.

"I'm telling you, Doc, that was no human! There's no way a human could just punch Gospel backwards ten feet!" Forte was howling explosively.

"Forte," the scientist snapped in response, "be quiet and get out of my way. I have better things to do than listen to your stories."

Blues' mouth quirked. Wily must be getting senile. He never dismissed news like that before. He continued to listen, interest growing.

"It's not a story, Al," Forte growled furiously. "I saw -"

"What have I told you, Forte?"

Forte groaned in annoyance. "All right, Dr. Wily - will you listen to me?"

"Talk quickly. I am working."

"That guy dodged me and Shade like we were amateurs. He hit my own shot back at me with that weird sword and - he punched - just punched - Gospel."

Blues could almost see Wily shaking his head in disbelief. "Forte, if he is not a human, what is he?"

"A robot," Forte answered sullenly.

Wily burst into wild laughter at his statement. "And where did he come from?"

"He wouldn't say."

Wily laughed harder, then stopped abruptly. "Gah. Bring him to me, Forte. And if he is not so wonderful as you say, you will work with Gutsman for a while until you learn to control your imagination."

Blues heard Forte bite back a snarl and stalk toward the door. He darted away around the corner, and the lab door swung open, admitting the black robot and his dog into the empty hall. Forte looked both ways, wondering if someone had heard, decided that no one had, and walked off in the direction opposite from where Blues was hiding.

"Forte!" roared Wily. "Come back and close this door!"

Forte wasn't about to, so Blues slunk over and stepped inside, grinning drily at the suddenly dumbfounded scientist as he shut the door. "Hello, Wily. Long time no see."

The scientist glared at him. "Get out of here, Blues."

"Not just yet, Doc." Blues took a casual glance around the room. The mad doctor's top secret project was another robot, but he had never barred anyone from the lab before. Intriguing. Blues would have to dig around some more on this one. "I just stopped in to say hi."

"You've said it," Wily said flatly, leaning against one of the lab tables. "Now leave."

"Cool your jets, Wily," Blues answered. "What's so hush-hush about this place, anyway?" He yawned deliberately. "I don't see anything special here."

"There is nothing special here," the scientist said pointedly. "Leave."

"All right, Doc. No problem." Blues was gone in a blur of grey, but not before leaving a recording device behind, just for kicks.

Wily muttered angrily for a moment about robots who couldn't think, robots who thought too much, and problems that just wouldn't go away before going back to work.

\--

Forte smashed his fist into the wall, swearing furiously. A robot he knew as Snakeman saw him and hurried past, not eager to be in the way of one of his fits of temper. Gospel whined unhappily, nudging his head against Forte's elbow.

"Quit that, you dumb dog!" he shouted, shoving the dog away.

Gospel crouched to the ground, whining again, and flopped over on his side, dejected. Forte glared at him out of the corner of his eye. Great. And to top it all off, I've got an attack dog with a sensitive ego. He turned and flopped wearily against the wall he'd smashed only a moment before, sighing heavily. "And now he wants me to bring him to the lab." He looked at his dog, who was now on his back, pedaling his feet in the air. "Gospel, get up. You look like an idiot."

The dog got to his feet, wagging like crazy.

"Whaddya say, Gospel? Should we do it?"

The dog flipped his ears back, sitting down and pawing at the air.

"Yeah, I know. He busted us up before."

Gospel bounced to his feet, barking like a puppy.

"I don't know if I want to bring that 'bot to Wily."

Gospel cocked his head and growled.

"So? Maybe Wily pissed me off a little worse than usual." Forte grinned suddenly. "He needs to figure out that I won't be pushed around." His quick mind had already formulated a plan for this little object lesson. "I still remember where the lab is, don't you, boy?"

Gospel's tail gave a feeble wag, uncertain as to what his master was up to.

"Rock trusted me once. I figure I can convince him twice."

The dog's expression became skeptical.

"Okay, maybe not. But he'll tell me where the other guy went." Forte stopped, smiling thoughtfully. "I wonder if he even knows that guy's a robot."

The pair warped away, leaving the other robots that paced down the hall in utter befuddlement.

\--

Rock bellowed something close to an obscenity as Forte dropped out of nowhere. Forte looked at him steadily, scornfully, waiting for the commotion to die down. Roll tensed up, glaring at the black robot, and Kalinka's father dragged her back.

"Nice to see you guys, too," Forte smirked at them.

"What do you want?" Rock snarled.

Forte took a step back, expression turning injured. "Aw, gee. Aren't you glad to see me? I'm hurt."

Rush, who was constantly by his master's side, uttered a bark of warning, and Gospel responded with a low growl.

"Answer the question, Forte," Roll said flatly.

"Sure, sure. I'm getting there." Forte leaned back on his heels, then rocked forward again. "I want to know where that blond guy went. I need to talk to him."

Rock's eyes grew dark. "I don't know."

Forte almost lost his temper. "Don't know? He was staying here!" He growled softly. "Where is he?"

"He told you," Roll snapped. "We don't know. They went into the forest." Rock gave her a sharp look, but she cut him off before he even started. "If we tell him, he'll leave! There's no way he's going to find them."

Forte grinned at her. "Thanks for the info. I'll be going now."

He warped out, and his dog followed him.

"And stay gone, you looney!" Rock shouted.

The rest of the group looked around at each other uncomfortably. Night was falling.

\--

"Brother," called a familiar voice.

Rock turned suddenly, seeing Blues step out of the dimly lit corner of the house. The group had gone back inside after Forte left, determined to relax.

"What is it, Blues?" he asked, glancing around. No one else was in sight. Roll and Kalinka were in the kitchen, and the two scientists were working in the lab.

"Forte stopped by, didn't he?"

Rock nodded.

Blues frowned for a moment, thinking. "I guess he really did go after him, then. Oh, well." He paused, uncertain. "I've got something for you," he remarked. "Or for Dr. Light, actually." He'd made a return trip to Wily's lab after the scientist had finished for the day, and gotten his recorder back. "I transferred some data to disk that he just might want to see." Blues tossed the disk, and his brother caught it.

"What is it?" Rock asked.

"Just take it to Doc Light. It seemed pretty important." He turned to go.

"Wait - why don't you stay? I mean, just for a little bit." Rock had just about stopped asking his brother to team up with him. The red and grey robot just didn't seem inclined to do it.

"I don't think I -" He looked up sharply as Kalinka walked into the room.

"Rock," she said, "Roll wants your help in the kitchen. She says your dog won't -" Kalinka stopped as she caught sight of Blues, and her face colored a bit. "I - didn't see you there, Blues," she said quietly. "Hello."

"Yeah. Hi." The robot was impatient to leave. Her gratitude for his rescue so long ago hadn't faded a bit, and it made him rather uncomfortable.

"What about Rush?" Rock demanded.

"He won't leave her alone." The girl smiled. "He's trying to steal the food."

The black-haired robot glared. "C'mon, Roll! Can't you even handle my dog anymore?" he called to her.

"I'd like to see you do a stir-fry and fend of a dog at the same time!" she retorted from the kitchen.

Rock growled and stalked into the kitchen, and Kalinka watched him go with a faint smile. She turned back to where Blues had been standing, about to speak, but he was gone.


	35. Divided Trails

Flurry tugged Tourian's arm, pointing at another path of broken branches. "Looks like something else crashed through there," she announced, "I'll go check it out."

Tourian nodded absently, trying to sort through the twisted trail they'd been following. The arrival of darkness had not impeded their search a bit, even though Ayrmin had whined at their insistence on staying out. The trail had been awfully easy to follow - once they'd found it, that is, but the track had still taken them over two hours. From what Tourian see, Zephyr had crashed into a tree and sat still for a few minutes before taking off again. He glanced off where Flurry had disappeared, wondering what on earth could have smashed through those trees, since the destruction wasn't widespread enough for the machine.

Ayrmin's bark drew his attention away, and he saw the dog over on the other side of the clearing, pawing anxiously at the ground.

"What is it, boy?" He walked over. "What have you got there?"

The dog barked again, wagging his tail. This time, however, the sound was accompanied by a low yowl.

"Ayrmin!" Tourian said sharply, "Leave that critter alone!" Then he saw what the dog was barking at. "Tremor? What the heck -?"

The cat himself stumbled to his feet, spitting judiciously at them both, and staggered out of the hollow he had fallen in. A split second later, Flurry's shout had Tourian running across the clearing in worry, leaving cat and dog to take care of each other. He saw Flurry crouched over a figure sprawled beneath a tree, swearing furiously under her breath.

"I told him to head back after two hours," she snarled, "but would he listen to me?" She got up, ignoring Tourian completely. "No. Of course not." She turned and nudged Zero with her foot. "Wake up, dim," she growled. "Smashing into a tree won't do that much damage to your thick head."

Zero gave a low moan, wincing at the soreness of flying headlong into a tree, and he sat up. He blinked for a moment at the darkness, then turned to Flurry.

"What're you -"

"Shut up, boltbrain," Flurry said waspishly. "I told you -"

"You shut up, Flurry," Tourian said coolly, "You weren't a bit upset about his not coming back until he turned up here instead of with Zephyr."

Flurry's first reaction to his statement was pure rage, then she bit her lip and looked down at Zero, who was getting to his feet. "Okay," she said slowly. "So what?"

Tourian frowned at her. "You're a brat, Flurry."

"So what?" she snapped again. "Is that my fault? I didn't program myself!"

"That's no excuse," Tourian retorted, temper rising. "You have control over your own actions -"

"Will the two of you shut up?" Zero asked mildly, pushing past them.

Flurry was silent, trying to restrain the urge to beat one or the other of them with a tree branch. Tourian yawned deliberately and followed Zero back out to the main clearing. Zero was stalking toward where the Zephyr's trail picked up again, saber ready in his hand. Flurry walked out behind them both, gazing curiously at the red robot. She tapped Tourian on the arm and gave Tourian a questioning look. He shrugged.

"Um, Zero dear, what are you up to?" Flurry asked him.

Without missing a step, he answered her, "I'm gonna find that machine, get X out, and bash it to bits."

Flurry gave a light chuckle. "No - you're not."

He stopped in his tracks, bowing his head wearily. "You know, Flurry, you really can't stop me."

"I most certainly can."

Tourian stepped in to avoid another fight, saying, "Listen, people, we really don't have time to argue about this. Zero, we can't destroy Zephyr because we need it to get home -"

"What makes you think that matters to me?" Zero demanded, turning, a bitter smile on his lips. "I can't go home, anyway."

Flurry glared at him. "Will you do the world a favor and stop feeling sorry for yourself?" Zero's face grew sullen, and Tourian threw his arms up in the air. She put her hands on her hips, tone suddenly stern. "I'll make you a deal. If Zero will stop threatening to bash, dismember, destroy or otherwise harm things, I'll stop being a - brat - as Tourian so cleverly put it." She looked from one to the other, smiling angrily. "We need to find Zephyr and get X out in one piece. Then we can worry about home."

Tourian was silent, and Zero finally nodded slowly, heaving a deep breath. "Then let's get moving, shall we?"

Tourian whistled to Ayrmin, and Flurry held out her arms for Tremor, who had recovered enough to be his usual, irritable self. They instructed the animals to return to safety and let them go. Zero had already taken off into the woods, leaving Flurry and Tourian to try and catch up.

\--

Forte warped down to point three and stared around in silence. He'd never seen a mess that huge since Rock destroyed Wily's last fortress, which wasn't so long ago, actually. He glanced at Gospel, who rumbled every so often, recognizing the scent of the person - robot - who'd bashed him up so badly just hours earlier. Forte grinned, patting the dog's head.

"We'll show 'em all, Gospel," he muttered. "That guy's gonna regret what he did."

Gospel threw his head back in the rumbling howl that was so often his trademark.

"Let's move. He's got a head start."

They jogged off into the woods, Forte quietly planning how he was going to get said robot to go back to Wily's fort with him and Gospel silently thirsting for blood.

The trail was almost annoyingly easy; that robot - hadn't he said his name was Zero? - certainly hadn't been crashing through the trees. Forte wondered for a moment what had. They ran on for perhaps fifteen minutes, when Gospel came to a halt with a low growl.

Forte stopped, turning to his dog. He didn't bother to ask what the dog had sensed, almost immediately seeing the gashes left in the sod by - something. He bent down to inspect the marks, running his fingers over the indentations. His dog snuffed along the trail for moment, then trotted back to sit expectantly by his master.

"How many more of 'em are there?" Forte asked, standing up.

The dog barked twice, tail flopping on the ground.

"Right." Forte glanced around for a moment. "Wonder what made this mess."

This time, the dog didn't respond, only walking toward where the trail continued, looking back over his shoulder. Forte nodded absently, still puzzling over the incredible mess - not that he felt any remorse over it. The thought of sorrowing over a few ruined trees hadn't even flitted across his mind. He was, however, concerned that whatever had made the trail of shattered branches might still be out there, ready to pounce. His train of thought suddenly paused, and he burst into laughter. Gospel whined, pawing worriedly at his master's foot.

"Oh -" he gasped between guffaws, "that's just too funny! He's chasing something - they're chasing something." His laughter cut off abruptly. "So when I find him and his little friends, I'll get all the answers I need."

\--

Blues trailed just behind Forte, little more than a shadow of the forest. Forte and Gospel were concentrating so hard on finding the robot who had made idiots of them both that they probably wouldn't have noticed if he jumped out in front of them and started doing the Macarena.

He smiled grimly. Keeping an eye on those two hadn't really been on his agenda that evening; he'd been more interested in getting back to check on Wily's little project, but Blues was nothing if not flexible. Wily's new 'bot would wait long enough to see if his instincts about the strangers who had popped in just a day earlier were correct.

\--

Rock leaned against the outside of the lab, near the wall that had been demolished by that weird machine, sighing quietly.

"What's up, bro?" Roll asked softly, startling him. "You've been like this ever since Blues showed up." She put her hands on her hips. "What gives?"

"I don't know. It's those people. There's something about them that just -" He lifted his hands frustratedly into the air and dropped them. "I don't know."

Roll nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. You could go after them -"

He shook his head firmly. "No. I just wish I could know who they are."

Roll shrugged and walked back inside, leaving her brother to lean silently against the building, gazing wistfully off into the darkened woods.

\--

Flurry shouted. "There she is!"

Zephyr hovered unsteadily in the air a few feet ahead, still crashing into trees, but not as badly as before. It was a mystery to the group how they caught up to the ship so quickly with its considerable lead. Almost as if it wanted to be caught.

Zero ran ahead, with a low growl and fairly threw himself at the ship, latching onto the door handle of the cargo area in the back. Flurry yelled at him to get down, but he ignored her and crawled up to the top.

Tourian groaned and tried to up his pace, and Flurry jumped at the machine, missing it by a bare inch and dropping to a crouch on the ground. Her breath left her all at once as she landed, and Tourian hauled her to her feet, pulling her along until she caught up again.

On Zephyr's hood, Zero was busy dodging flying tree branches and figuring out a way into the machine without doing too much damage. Finally giving up on it, he brought his fist up and swung down as hard as he could. He beat a hole in the top with little effort - unless the tree limb that nearly knocked him off completely counted. He heard Flurry bellowing at him to stop whatever he was doing, but he ignored her, sitting back to yank up the edges of the hole and give him room enough to get in and out with X. He poked his head in once the hole was big enough, glaring around at the machine's innards. He saw X flopped on the floor and called his friend's name.

"Hey - X! Get up! You've gotta get out of there!"

The robot on the floor stirred slightly and got to his knees unsteadily. He looked up. "Zero! What are -"

"Shaddap," Zero snapped. "Now get over here, and I'll give you a hand out."

X nodded and threaded his way carefully over, stumbling only a little with Zephyr's unpredictable motion. Zero reached a hand down, and X caught it, letting the other lift him up high enough to catch the edge of the huge gash in the machine's hood. Zero moved around to the other side to let X get out. X had swung one leg up to get out of the ship and turned to say something - when he saw the branch.

"Zero, look -"

Zero howled in surprised pain, the huge limb smashing him full in the back and nearly knocking him clean off.

X kicked himself up the rest of the way and grabbed Zero's arm before he went flying into space again, and Zero tried to pull himself back up.

Then, the whole world went haywire.

Flurry screamed a warning, but Zephyr had already lost balance, reeling over sideways. It smashed fantastically into the ground, and the robots trailing behind lost sight of X and Zero in a huge cloud of dirt. Tourian skidded to a halt, seeing two hazy forms hit the ground and roll, scrambling away from the machine. Flurry darted forward to see a little more clearly, and the pair nearly bowled her over. She yelped and ran in the other direction, darting behind Tourian as the two approached.

X coughed, waving his hand in front of his face. "Some ride, huh?" he laughed.

Zero groaned arching his back. "Sure - you can talk. I didn't see you get hit by any branches."

"Hey, I did try to warn you."

"Before or after it hit me?"

Flurry didn't bother to interrupt them, moving past to see if Zephyr was still in one piece. "Zero! What the heck did you do to it?"

"I bashed a hole in the hood," he responded, "Why?"

"Gee," she said, turning and rolling her eyes at him. "More money to dish out fixing it - more time spent fixing it -"

X grinned. "We could just say we built a sun roof."

Flurry made a face at him.

Tourian was about to say something, when a dry voice commented, "Well, well. Isn't this just picture perfect."

They all spun, and Zero's eyes went dark. X's armor rematerialized around him reflexively. Flurry and Tourian took a defensive position.

A robot in black and gold armor was leaning lazily against a tree, a mocking expression painting his face. His dog rumbled softly from beside him.

"What do you want this time?" Zero demanded in annoyance.

"Why should I tell you?" The robot stood up straight and started walking forward. "I just stopped by to see what was going on." He grinned. "Not much action in this neck of the woods." He paused, looking behind the group at Zephyr. "Nice toy."

Before anyone could move, he had darted over to it and was inspecting the hole in the roof. "What happened to it?" He kicked the hood, and the sound of metal ringing against metal filled the clearing. "What is it?"

"That's none of your -" Flurry began furiously, but she stopped when the time machine gave a throbbing rumble. "Get away from there!"

Unconsciously, Forte did step back, staring at the machine. Zero shifted, ready to fight Forte or Gospel - or even Zephyr. His nerves were completely fried.

X's stance was uncertain. He wasn't sure who was more dangerous, Forte, Zero, or the time machine. Tourian tapped his arm, and they started to back away silently, preparing to circle around to the other side of their enemies.

Forte was still staring at the machine. Would Wily ever like to get his hands on this - whatever it is. . . .

And suddenly it righted itself. Zephyr hovered before them all, almost expectantly, repulsors blazing at full power. Then, the side door slid open, and Forte grinned faintly, trying to disguise his nervousness.

"Nice toy," he repeated himself. "I think I'll - take it!" And he darted inside. Gospel sprang in after him, and the door swung shut like the gates of doom.

Flurry didn't even have time to cry out as Zephyr suddenly rose up and flew away, zigging and zagging crazily - headed north. Tourian and X looked at each other in silence, and Zero started to swear.


	36. Theft and Invasion of Privacy

Blues cursed himself furiously. Idiot! He was right there! Blast it - I should have - He cut off suddenly. At least we know where it's headed, don't we?

Without another thought, he stepped into the open, causing the four standing there and their two animals to stare, shout, and aim weapons at him. Except one.

"Guys - guys!" Flurry shouted. "Ease up, will you? That's the one who helped me out."

"Ease up, she says," growled one, hand clenching convulsively around his lightsaber.

Blues smiled faintly. It was actually growing light in the eastern sky, light enough for them to make out the expression. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."

"Well," another said dubiously, "what do you want?"

"Actually, it's more a matter of what you want," he replied. "I know where your little friend took off to, and I can take you straight there, if you like."

Flurry nodded slowly, but Zero broke in with a growl of, "Friend, huh? I'm gonna eviscerate the little bugger."

Blues tilted his head respectfully. "Sorry. I can't let you do that."

"And just why not?" Zero snapped.

"Yeah," X remarked quietly. "What do you care what we do to him?"

The red and grey robot grinned at him. "Well, I'd let you, but you've got to understand, as much as I'd like to, I can't." He propped his shield up on the ground in front of him and leaned on it lazily. "My little bro gets to take him out."

"Little bro?" Flurry questioned him.

"Rock," he explained. "You've - um - met him, I believe."

"Yeah," Tourian agreed.

Zero shifted impatiently, darting glances around at them all, and finally spoke up. "Can we stop the discussion here? Shouldn't we be going after that stupid machine?"

Blues picked up his shield and sauntered over to them, and Flurry noted with absent-minded pleasure that he was slightly shorter than her. He was grinning sardonically again. It seemed to be one of his favorite expressions.

"Yeah," he said drily, facing Zero, "but if we follow him now, we just might beat him to the fortress - and that would hurt his feelings." He laughed heartily. "Not that his ego really matters that much to me, of course, but I need Wily to be busy with something if we're going to get into that fort unnoticed."

"But Wily's gonna be busy messing with Zephyr!" Flurry objected. "Can't we just catch up to him? I mean - think what they could do to her!"

At this, Blues started laughing helplessly, and Flurry gazed at him with the distinct impression that she was being mocked. He finally stopped, dry amusement coloring his voice as he responded. "And what could he do that would be any worse than what you've already done?"

Flurry bristled, and X burst out laughing in agreement. Tourian nudged his arm warningly as Flurry stiffened and turned to him, and he stopped, still smiling like a total fool. Zero crossed his arms impatiently, glaring at them all. He'd already suggested once that they get moving, and they had dismissed him completely. Not that finding Zephyr was very high on his agenda at the moment. He was more interested in getting his hands on the little twerp that had swiped the machine.

"Can we please get on with this?" he demanded. "How far ahead do we want him to get?"

Blues turned to him again. "We can start now, if you insist." He walked past them, headed vaguely in the direction Zephyr had taken. "We ought to get there in an hour."

"An hour?" Zero threw his hands up in disbelief.

Flurry looked uncertain, but she agreed with Zero on that point - if for different reasons. "Zephyr could be scrap by then," she pointed out, eyes worried.

Blues turned, and she could feel an irritated glare emanating from behind his visor. "Just trust me on this one, okay?" He turned back to the path. "At the rate your ship's going, an hour is more than enough time to get there."

\--

"Rock!"

The door to Rock's room slammed violently open, and the robot sat up sharply in bed, rubbing his eyes. Kalinka stood in the doorway, fairly dancing with nervousness. "Oh, wake up, Rock!" she insisted. "Dr. Light wants to talk to you. It's very important!"

"I'm getting up," he grumbled. "Did it ever occur to you to knock on the door?"

She cocked her head, mouth quirking. "I did. Twice."

He opened one eye, glaring at her. "Oh, go away. Tell Doc I'll be there in a minute."

She laughed at him and shut the door, pounding down the hall calling Dr. Light's name. Rock checked his internal chronometer and started. It was six in the morning, a bit early for everyone to be up. But then, he thought wryly, Doc's been keeping weird hours anyway.

When he got out to what they generally called the living room, he found everyone awake, including his dog. Rush barked at him, wagging his tail insanely, and he scratched the animal behind his ears.

"What gives, guys?" Rock asked

Roll tossed her head, shifting her shoulders lazily. "You remember what Blues handed you last night?" she asked pleasantly. "That's what gives," she continued as he nodded.

"It has details of Wily's latest - er - project, so to speak," Light said softly. "It's far from completion, of course, but it could pose a great threat to mankind in the very near future."

"You want me to go take care of it?" The robot shrugged easily.

"Yes, but -" The scientist paused, rubbing his forehead.

"But what?"

"I need you to deal with this a little differently," he said, looking up into Rock's suddenly confused face. "Wily's work must not be destroyed. I need you to bring it back with you when you return." His face grew stern. "Wily's capture is not your primary objective on this mission. You must understand that."

Rock nodded, almost unwillingly. His fight against Wily had always taken top priority, and he hated to think about what could be so worrisome as to usurp that position. "So I shouldn't try to bring him in."

Light sighed. "Of course you should, Rock. But focus on getting his project out of his hands - that is what worries me most." The scientist stood, walking over to a viewscreen and tapping a couple of keys on the console. "This is what you should look for," he said, as images of a cluttered and crowded laboratory sprang onto the screen. "The room is probably heavily secured, but I'm sure you can reach it."

"I understand."

"Then good luck," Light dismissed him. "And return safely."

Rock whistled to his dog, and the two warped away without another word. Roll glanced silently at the computer screen, shoulders slumping. Wily, she knew, was not going away anytime soon, but why should one of his crazy robots be so much of a danger?

\--

Forte roared with laughter, feeling the machine bob and tremble with the wind it raised. It was an incredible device, probably with more possibilities than even he could think of. If this didn't earn him a little respect from Wily - nothing would. And if I don't get some respect quick, I'm gonna dump the jerk on his butt. Let's see him cope without me around. Forte, naturally, failed to remember that Wily had coped without him quite nicely for years.

Gospel uttered his rumbling howl, rearing up and putting his front paws on the console. He really didn't understand what his master saw in this device - all it did was make noise and kick up dirt.

"Listen up, mutt," Forte grinned, "This sucker's our ticket to the top - get it? Once Wily sees it, we're on the road to wherever we want to be."

Gospel rumbled unpleasantly, and a holographic map suddenly sprang up in front of them. Forte stared for a moment, soaking it all in.

Wily's fortress was fast approaching.


	37. Disenchantment and the Odd Helping Hand

"You can't fire me!"

"Yes, I can. I have robots who can do your job three times as efficiently, and I don't have to pay them!"

The man who stood before the evil scientist clenched and unclenched his fists spasmodically. "You - you - son of a -"

"Now, now, my boy," Wily purred. "There's no need for that. If you will work for half your pay, you may stay on."

"But I've got a family to support!" the young man shouted.

"So? Why did you come to work for me, then?" Wily stood up behind his desk, pointing at the door. "You may leave now, Gordon. I have no further time for you."

Gordon tried to speak, but the old man gestured emphatically. He left finally, shoulders slumped, swinging the door open almost into Forte's face as he walked in. Wily's expression changed from one of cruel glee to one of annoyance in a split second.

"So I go from disgruntled employees to robots who do not know their place - all in a matter of seconds." Wily turned to face the window - or where a window should have been. It was only a blank wall, now. "What do you want, Forte?"

"Huh," Forte muttered. "I don't know. I found this neat little machine down in the forest, and I thought you might like a look at it. But never mind."

Wily turned. "Machine? Where is your precious, not-human robot? Hmm?"

"He'll be here," the black robot muttered darkly, "Him and his little friends are gonna want their machine back -"

"What? You brought my fortress under attack?!" Wily stalked around the desk, waving his fists in the air. "What have you bungled this time, you fool?"

"I didn't bungle anything," Forte snarled. "Now, do you want to see this machine or not?"

Wily raised a hand, putting the other wearily to his forehead. "If I do this, Forte - will you be happy and leave me alone?"

"Sure, Doc. Whatever you say."

A heavy silence hung between them as they walked to the shuttle bay the machine had managed to maneuver into, albeit clumsily. Forte had the satisfaction of seeing the evil, old scientist's jaw drop in utter astonishment as he gazed upon the battered device.

"What is it, Forte?" he asked, stunned.

"I dunno. It seemed pretty important to them, though." Forte made a show of stretching lazily. "They could be here any time."

Wily ignored him walking up to the machine, an expression of wonder on his face. "You know, Forte," he murmured, "this almost makes up for your constant hallucinations."

Forte's expression grew dark. Je-e-e-erk. But he shrugged, walking over to the wrecked hulk and rapping on it lightly. The metal rang. "It - uh - needs some repairs, but it has possibilities, ya think?"

"Yes, yes." Wily smiled, wringing his hands in contemplation of how to exploit the device. "Bring it into my main lab - and hurry." The man had already turned back to the hall, when he raised a hand. "And up the perimeter defenses. Try not to let anyone disturb me."

Forte lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "Su-ure." But he lifted his hands in surrender when the scientist spun on him, about to let loose with yet another blistering ultimatum. "I'll - get Gutsman out of the latrines." He laughed scornfully and whistled to Gospel, who had settled over in one corner of the room, glowering at the both of them.

The two warped away, and Wily began to have doubts about the wisdom of his creating them. He'd never had a more surly, insubordinate pair under his command in his life.

\--

Blues raised a hand, and the four following him came to a halt.

"What is it, Blues?" Flurry asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

The fortress was before them, rising above the otherwise lovely landscape like a monument to ugliness. It bristled with weapons and other protrusions. Flurry tilted her head, lip curling in a sneer of disgust. She made a noise indicating her opinion of the structure, and Blues glanced back at her, face amused. Tourian regarded the fortress in silence. It reminded him unpleasantly of the Maverick base - which they had barely escaped from with their lives. Zero and X exchanged a glance, neither betraying the surge of pained remembrance they felt at the sight of the behemoth.

We nearly died in one of those, Zero spat mentally. If I never see one again, it'll be too soon. X's eyes were grave, almost as if he heard his friend's thought.

"So," Zero said finally, "what are we waiting for?"

Blues threw his shield over his shoulder, facing them with a dry look on his face. "He knew we were coming. He's got the area double shielded. Can't warp through it." He threw his head back and barked a laugh. "We're gonna have to bash through it."

"Bash?" Flurry asked flatly. "Just how do you propose we bash through it?"

He laughed again. "Oh, we don't have to bash through the shield. All it does is prevent a transport." He glanced down at the base of the fortress, grinning. "They're the ones we have to bash through."

Zero bit back a curse, staring at the robots patrolling the perimeter. Flurry gritted her teeth and smashed her fist into the palm of her hand. X and Tourian grinned at each other.

"So," Blues said to them, "let's get bashing."

Zero was the first off the ridge, swinging his saber out and baring his teeth in a savage grin. The first robot who noticed his flying leap met his death in silence, sliced neatly down the middle by the glowing sword. Flurry lashed out with her electrical energy, shattering another that moved to attack. A cry burst from her, and she stood her ground, setting the air aglow with a veritable dance of light. Zero darted away from her attacks, heading toward the fortress and swinging his saber with wild abandon. He laughed heartily, enjoying the first straight fight he'd had in what felt like ages.

X and Tourian suddenly bolted his opposite directions, peppering the enemy ranks with mirrored shots that somehow confused the other robots into firing at each other. They then stood next to each other, pointing at the chaos in amusement, until the enemies realized what had happened. At that point, they repeated the process, laughing helplessly when they received the same results.

Blues started to join the fray, but he stopped, staring at the four of them. They were doing a better job than even his brother usually did. He propped his shield up and leaned against it, watching curiously.

The fight was over in minutes, and he continued to watch as X and Tourian gave each other a high five, and Zero tossed Flurry a thumbs-up. She gave her hair a shake, returning the gesture with a grin. Then they noticed him standing there.

"What're you staring at?" Flurry demanded, teeth flashing in a mocking smile. At his lack of response, she called to Zero. "Guess we aren't that bad!"

"Nothing like a battle to bring out the best in you," he retorted with an ironic grin.

"So," X remarked, "why weren't you helping out down here?"

Blues finally picked his shield up and walked over to them. "I got the feeling I'd get in the way," he commented drily. "Let's get inside before he sends anyone else out."

\--

Unnoticed by all was a figure upon the very ridge they had been standing on only moments before. He could only stare for a long moment, running his fingers along his arm cannon in silence. Naturally, he was stunned by the events he had just witnessed, but more than that, he felt a sting, striking deep inside him. So much for trust, he thought, reaching down to pat his dog's head.

\--

Forte snarled furiously. They're good! They're better than I thought. Wily's gonna kill me. He snapped his fingers, and Gospel got to his feet, rumbling curiously. "Listen, boy," he muttered. "We've gotta stall them, or - well, you know what's gonna happen."

The dog growled.

"I know. I saw him too." Forte darted a glance at the viewscreen, which showed him that not only had the four strangers - and Blues - entered the fortress, but Rock was headed their way as well. "We'd probably better tell Doc." He tapped a couple of keys beside the screen and muttered to his dog, "I'm not looking forward to this."

"Not looking forward to what?" Wily demanded, and Forte looked up sharply.

"Nothin'." He took a deep breath. "Those robots are inside the fortress, Doc. I'll try to head them off."

"WHAT!"

Forte shut the viewscreen off before Wily could chew him out, and he took off down the hall with Gospel following close behind. He snapped out a command to the computer, and the viewscreens that appeared periodically down the hall brought up images of the intruders, so he darted around the corner of the hall, nearly knocking Gutsman down, mop, bucket, and all.

"Outta my way, Gutsy!" he snapped.

The big robot growled something, but Forte was so busy trying to catch the robots that had so rudely burst into Wily's fort he didn't even respond. Gospel, on the other hand, snapped his jaws, and Gutsman jumped back, slamming into the wall. Forte doubled his speed, rounding another corner, and alarms went off all over the place, warning all robots to get to battle stations.

His mouth curved into a feral grin. It's time to rock and roll!

\--

Blues swore as alarms rang out all around them. "Right, people! We'd better find your machine and get out of here!"

Flurry skidded to a halt, glaring around for a computer terminal. Upon spotting one, she said, "I can probably hack in and see where he's keeping it -"

"No," Blues retorted, "He's had it for maybe thirty minutes - he's not gonna have it logged in yet!"

"Then how do we find it?" Zero demanded, shifting nervously. He didn't like standing still and waiting for someone to attack.

"Blues," X said suddenly, "Why not let Flurry try and get a visual?"

Blues made a face. "All right - but make it quick. We'll have thirty 'bots down our throats in a matter of minutes, here."

"Nothing we can't handle," Tourian grinned, and they took position around Flurry, who turned to the console and got to work.

"Which lab is it, Blues?"

"I'm not sure. One of his main ones, anyway."

Flurry rolled her eyes, quietly tapping away at the limited equipment. The alarms kept sounding, and Zero expected something to leap out of the hall any second, but nothing came. Tourian shifted, energy humming in his arms, and he murmured something to X, who grinned nervously. Blues held his shield ready, watching and waiting; he knew that the size of the fortress and Wily's work force - reduced to nearly nothing from countless battles - prevented a very quick response. He also knew that they had destroyed a pretty fair number of the only robots Wily had left out there. For some reason, the scientist was concentrating so hard on his precious new robot he had failed to build any others.

Flurry muttered softly to herself as she attempted to hack through the intricate paths of the security cams. "Hey!" she yelped suddenly, "Some jerk rigged it to show us!"

Blues didn't turn, but he growled. "So fix it."

"So fix it," she mocked him. "I'd like to see you do this."

"Hurry it up, Flurry," Tourian muttered, growing impatient, and she sniffed in response.

"It's not like this is the greatest computer in the world," she retorted. "There - I 've almost -"

"Turn around right now," snarled a vaguely familiar voice.

She spun, backing into the viewscreen. Her jaw dropped, seeing that same black and gold robot staring them all down again. He lifted his arm cannon lazily, pointing it directly at her. Blues tensed, and Zero brandished his ignited saber, but he ignored them both, grinning suddenly at Flurry.

Flurry bristled. That nerve of that robot - how dare he threaten her!

"Don't - you - tell - me - what - to - do," she hissed slowly, making sure he heard every word, and turned back around defiantly.

She half-heard Blues roar a warning, and suddenly she was on the floor, trying to scramble to her feet and attack Forte. Blues jumped right in front of her, refusing to let her past. Her eyes saw vaguely the viewscreen - now smoking and shattered. In the next instant, Forte reeled away with a howl, clutching at his arm.

He glared down the hall, hate filling his stare. "Rrro-ock!" he bellowed, raging forward.

Flurry tried to push past Blues again, and Tourian took her arm, but she didn't notice. She was gazing, eyes wide, past them all - past Zero, who wasn't quite sure who he should be attacking, past the smoke that filtered into the hall from the hole in the viewscreen, past Forte, who was charging at full speed toward Rock.

The young robot wasn't taking any note of him, staring at the four of them, with and unreadable expression on his face. Blues suddenly yelled out, "Brother! Wake up -"

Suddenly, Forte screeched in pain and crushed into the wall, smashing a hole neatly through it. He lay motionless. Blues' shield clattered to the floor beside him, and Rock when looked at them all again, Flurry suddenly understood. He met her gaze, anger creeping into his eyes.

Betrayal. Hurt.

Flurry took a step back. "Rock, we -"

"Get out of here," he said flatly.

"W-what?" X stammered.

"Get out of here," he repeated. "Get out of this fortress - stay away from Dr. Light's lab, and go back to wherever you came from." He shifted his gaze to his brother. "You lied to us," he said, still addressing Flurry and the others. "You're robots - how? Why?"

Flurry's shoulders slumped, and Tourian looked at the floor. "We told you why we're here. And now," he said slowly, "now you know why we couldn't tell you anything else."

Forte got to his hands and knees, groaning, but no one paid him any heed. He gave Blues' shield a vicious kick, sending it skidding into the far wall. He then leaned against and undamaged portion of wall, and Gospel walked over and licked his face. Eyes suddenly weary, he petted Gospel's head, instead of thrusting him angrily away, as was his usual response to the animal's affection.

Rock lowered his arm cannon, kept in position the whole time after shooting Forte. "I don't - understand. Why are you here?"

Flurry looked frustrated. "For the fifth time, we came here by mistake - the machine was supposed to take us straight back home -"

"What do you mean? Take you straight home - well, where's home?"

Dead silence fell over everything, and Zero leaned his head against the wall. Forte suddenly turned his head expectantly. "Yeah," he said. "That's a real good question."

Blues didn't say a word.

"We're from - the future," Flurry said darkly. "And if you know what's good for you - you'll let us leave."

"Why?" Forte demanded obstinately.

"Because," X snapped. "Me and Zero - we're from a different time than even them, and they don't want to mess anything else up!"

Rock opened his mouth to ask another question, but Blues stepped in. "Let's leave it at that, brother."

Rock nodded slowly in agreement, and Forte, fully recovered, jumped lightly to his feet. They all turned to him in surprise, but he shrugged.

"You know," he said, "Wily's working on your little machine. If you want it back, you'd better find it." He started to walk off down the hall.

"Wait," Flurry said flatly. "You aren't going to stop us?"

Forte turned his head, grinning at her. "Why should I? But you might want to let Doc repair your little toy before you take it away from him." He turned away again.

"Forte," Blues said.

The robot stopped, turning completely around and leaning his hand against the wall. His face bore the faintest hint of petulant annoyance, and Blues gave him a sharp look. The two clearly had a great deal of communication behind them at this point, from the level stare that darted between them. Forte finally shifted, rolling his eyes. "What?" he demanded, patting his dog on the head. "I'll bet you want me to tell you where it is. No deal."

Blues didn't say anything.

"Look. I may not like Wily," Forte yawned, "but I still have a sort of allegiance to him. No deal."

"Yeah," Rock said spitefully, "without Wily - you'd have no one to run to when I kick your butt!"

Blues hissed sharply, raising a hand at his brother, but the words were far out of his mouth before anything could be done about it. Forte's eyes darkened, flashing with sudden rage.

"You - kick my butt?" The black robot forced himself to take on a relaxed pose, trying not to grind his teeth in fury. Gospel gave his howling rumble, and Rush snarled a response. "We'll see whose butt gets kicked, Rock - unless you're worried you might get hurt." A feral grin lit his face as Rock bristled.

"Guys - quit it!" Flurry shouted. "This won't -"

"You're on, Forte!" Rock yelled over her voice. "Choose your ground!"

Forte threw his head back in a rippling laugh. "Follow me, blue boy!" He laughed again and warped away.

Blues snarled something furious, and Rock followed Forte, leaving the rest in the hall wondering what had happened. Zero very nearly started cursing, but Flurry beat him to the punch, screaming out a stream of obscenities that would have made a sailor blush. X growled something, and Tourian demanded that he repeat it.

"I said - so now what do we do?"

Tourian shrugged. "We go find Zephyr. Rock's buying us the time we need - and he's keeping that jerk off our backs."

Blues made an approving noise. "Yeah. I know where most of the labs are anyway."

Flurry sighed, glancing at the console. "I almost had it, too."

Zero gave the slightest shrug, and they all set off down the hall - at a dead run.

\--

Wily was fairly dancing with joy at the beauty of the device Forte had found. Its design was sleek, its purpose, if unclear, could be corrupted to whatever he desired, and its basic components were a study in simplicity. Unfortunately, its more complicated mechanisms were splintered and lying all over the floor. Nothing a brilliant, if evil, scientist couldn't deal with, though.

"If only I knew what its purpose was," Wily mused.

He paced around one side, paced around to the other. He finally stopped and stepped inside the machine again. The blackened console stared at him, seeming to laugh scornfully at all his efforts to understand it. His eyes grew dark, and he smote the wall in frustration.

And to his utter surprise, the machine hummed.

He lurched back, nearly falling out of the ship entirely, and the hum died. Tentatively, he reached out and touched the wall again. The vibrations returned, less forcefully this time, and he threw his head back in his first maniacal laugh in a long time.

\--

Rock and Forte had warped all over the fortress, stopping every once in a while to shoot at each other, but mostly trying to keep each other busy. Rock jumped in close to Forte, firing off a kick at his midriff, and darted away again, sending a couple of parting shots of plasma in the other's direction.

Forte barely felt the kick and dodged the shots easily. Rock would have been an impediment to the other group; obviously he had some mission other than following them. Forte felt he was doing them all a favor by keeping him off their backs. He warped away, laughing.

Rock followed, secure in the knowledge that he had the other robot on the run.

When they landed next, Forte held up a hand. "Listen, Rock. I'm curious, here. Why did Dr. Light send you this time? Wily hasn't done anything major lately - so what gives?"

Rock growled at the halt in fighting. "That's for me to know, Forte!"

"Hey, whatever you say."

They had ended up in a long, empty hallway. Forte glanced around and decided that they were alone. He took on a slouching stance, glancing boredly up at the ceiling while Rock watched impatiently. Neither had sustained much damage, since they'd been chasing after each other most of the time, but both knew that could change quickly.

"Uh, Rock," he said, "You're not gonna wreck the place this time or anything, are you?" He glanced over at the robot, whose expression became the one that lights peoples' faces just after you've asked a really stupid question. "Y'know, this took a long time to build, and all. I was just -"

"No, I'm not planning to wreck the place - I never do, if you remember." Rock's face was tight. "Why do you care, anyway?"

Forte had opened his mouth to reply when they both heard a rattling noise from down the hall. They stared in silence at the big, shambling robot who was making his way in their direction, a mop over one shoulder and dragging a cleaning station behind him. Gutsman didn't pay either of the two any notice as he walked on, humming an off-key and slightly annoying tune.

"Never mind," Forte said, firing suddenly and gone in the next instant.

\--

Flurry took a gulp of air as they rounded yet another corner. "Blues! I thought you said you knew where this place was!"

"Maybe I was wrong," the robot retorted. "I thought he'd take it to one of his main labs, but I think I know where it went."

They raced down the hall, oblivious of most of what they ran past, until Flurry saw a human.

Gordon snarled, jabbing viciously at the floor with his mop. That lousy Wily - he doesn't deserve having me around! He didn't even look up when a group of strange robots ran past; it was all too common an occurrence.

When they all stopped and turned around to stare at him, however, he took notice of them. "Whaddy'all want?" he demanded. "I got work to do."

One of them, a somewhat familiar robot clad in red and grey, shook his head slowly. The visor hid his eyes, but Gordon could tell he was amused about something. Another, a girl with long, red-brown hair blinked in confusion, then turned and whispered something to her white-and-gold armored companion. He grinned faintly and shrugged.

"Well?" Gordon said sharply.

"Um - do you know where Wily's keeping his latest - er - acquisition?" the girl asked.

Gordon scratched his head, wondering what in heaven's name she meant by acquisition. Then it dawned on him. "If ya mean that weird, car-lookin' thing Forte picked up, it's in his new lab."

Her eyes grew hopeful, and she turned to the other four, fairly dancing with excitement. "Blues, do you know where he means?"

The robot nodded immediately. "That's where I thought he put it. In the lab with his other project."

"Y'all're welcome for the help," Gordon remarked as they all took off again.

Shaking his head, he returned to his mopping.

\--

Wily had been experimenting with the machine's reactions to touch; hitting, poking, prodding, and all. It had responded negatively to bashing, punching and the like, but it hadn't really taken well to gentleness, either. An unusual device, very unusual.

He was ready to start fiddling around with the burnt-out and damaged mechanisms, when the proximity alarms went off. His eyes immediately went to the main door of the lab, where he knew the intruders must be. After a moment's consideration, he backed away from the strange ship. However intriguing it might be, his survival was top priority.

He scrambled for one of his teleporting devices, glancing regretfully at his computers, full of data that waited to be exploited. But all that could wait. He snatched something off a table on his way, fingering it thoughtfully and wondering whether or not he should use it.

\--

"I told you," snapped Blues. "Why'd you have to do that, anyway?"

Zero didn't answer him, grumbling furiously to himself. When the door hadn't responded to the normal methods of opening, he had hauled off and fired a shot. It had ricocheted off the heavy metal, nearly smashing through X on its way to the opposite wall.

And then the alarms went off.

"Great!" Flurry shouted at him. "Now he knows we're here for sure! Thanks a lot, Zero!"

"Shut up, Flurry!" he yelled in her face. "I really don't need your moral support right now," he added in an almost conversational tone.

"So it doesn't matter," said Tourian. "We can just break in."

"Yeah. Sure," Zero retorted, "I already tried that."

Flurry made a disgusted noise, whipping out her seldom-used lightsaber. "You idiots - we can cut through it." She proceeded to demonstrate, and the alarms howled yet louder as the door was breached.

A huge chunk of metal fell inwards, and the five robots ducked inside, ready to fight for the machine. Tourian stared about in awe at the size of the lab, noticing the equipment a bare second later. He tugged on Flurry's arm, pointing around at it all. She nodded in agreement, wonder in her wide-eyed expression. X and Zero took it all in with an instant's time, and Blues was more interested in the aging figure crouched beside a teleporter.

"Where do you think you're headed to, Wily?" he asked sharply.

The man looked up at him, glaring daggers. "Blues, what do you think you're doing? I always thought I could count on your non-interference!"

"Times change, I'm afraid," Blues answered easily. "Now, I want you to hand over that machine and be on your way. Simple enough?"

Wily's face twisted into a sneer. "Take that machine - if you can get it out of here!" He jumped to his feet and mashed the button of a controller he had held hidden in his hand. Grinning insanely at them, he then jumped into the teleporter and disappeared.

Over the shrilling of the door alarm came a thundering, ponderous gong sound, and a polite-sounding female voice announced, "This fortress will destruct in two minutes. Please take your valuables with you when you depart, as you will not be able to retrieve them afterwards. Thank you."

Flurry went pale, and Tourian scrambled for the time machine. Blues looked at them, slowly nodding.

"I don't think I can really be much more help to you," he said drily. "Good luck with your machine." And he warped away.

Zero had no time to curse at him, otherwise he would have. He and X made for the machine as the fortress began to rock.

\--

Forte spun around, staring at the loudspeakers. "Is he insane?" he shrieked, hands clenching.

"I always thought so," Rock snapped, glaring around. He resisted the urge to smash something in frustration.

"Shaddap," Forte replied, attention still focused on the voice, which was counting down from two minutes. He suddenly turned to Rock with a smirk that barely missed being a sneer. "I guess we'll have to take this up some other time, Rock!" And he was gone. Gospel gave a low snarl and left as well.

Rock turned to his ever-faithful canine companion, who whined uneasily at the ringing alarm. "Doc's not going to be happy about this." He looked around one last time, hands forming fists. He knew he could warp to wherever Wily was keeping his new project, but he didn't know where it was. "I guess we don't have much choice."

They both warped out.

\--

Flurry bent over the shattered console, begging, cajoling, pleading for the Zephyr to take flight.

The countdown ticked to fifty seconds, and the voice remarked, "I do hope you've got everything, because now would be a really good time to leave."

Zero fidgeted, trying to think of something constructive to do as the fortress counted down to their impending doom. X paced around in silence, watching Tourian pat Flurry's shoulder.

"Come on, Flurry - it started up before, didn't it?"

"I know it did!" she shouted. "I just don't know how!" She smashed her fist into the console. "You stupid ship!" she howled. "If you've got enough intelligence to start on your own, why don't you save yourself?"

Tourian glanced at her. "She's talking to a burnt out control panel. Lord save us all."

The countdown shrilled at fifteen seconds, and the voice said, "Well, if you're hearing this message, you're not likely to get out of here alive. Have a nice afterlife."

Flurry was slumped over the console, sobbing with fury, and everybody else was contemplating their deaths, when Zephyr suddenly hummed. The ship vibrated wildly for a moment, then lifted off the ground. X fought to keep his balance as the machine spun to face the far wall. The side hatch slammed shut, and Zero uttered a low moan.

"It's gonna ram the wall."

"WHAT!" Flurry screamed, turning sharply.

"Brace for impact," X remarked casually, and they were all thrown to the ground as Zephyr made her greatest escape, blowing through a wall of stone, cement, and metal - with relatively little damage. Zero and X were thrown down, almost sliding into the back hatch, and Tourian fell backwards, glancing off the copilot's chair and cracking his head on the floor. Flurry clung to the console, eyes closed, and waited for it to be over.

\--

Gordon tossed the garbage neatly out on an ever-growing compost heap, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He was vaguely aware of a rather loud noise behind him. What's Wily screwing around with this time?

He turned around, slinging his bucket over his shoulder, prepared to go back to work.

He stopped, blinking for a moment, then sighed.

"I guess I'll have to find another job," he mused wearily. "Not that that one paid so good, anyway."


	38. More Than Damaged Equipment

The robot in question spun sharply, seeing his brother scrambling toward him as the fortress exploded in the background. "What is it, brother?" he asked coolly.

Rock stopped, panting, and his dog scratched behind one ear. "Where - where are the others?" He glanced up. "You didn't -"

"Don't worry about them, Rock. They're safely out of that thing by now."

"How can you be so sure?" Rock demanded. "They were after that machine, remember, and it was far from under their control the last time I saw it!"

Blues didn't say anything for a few minutes before asking, "Well, what about your mission? I don't think you quite came out on top this time."

Rock refused to answer him. "Whaddyou care, anyway?" He took a deep breath and turned around, preparing to warp out.

"Wait, Rock."

The youngish robot turned, expression sullenly questioning.

"Keep your temper well," Blues said flatly. "And tell Doc I'm sorry. It was my fault the fortress blew."

Rock felt rage begin to boil up inside him, but he nodded curtly and warped away without a sound. Rush wagged his tail apologetically and was gone as well.

\--

Flurry sank to her knees, almost weeping with joy, hearing the sounds of a massive explosion behind them. "What next?" she moaned, getting to her feet again.

Tourian grinned mirthlessly. "Next, we try to convince this machine to take us back to Dr. Light's lab."

Zero smiled boredly. "I don't think that's going to be a problem. Check the map."

The others hadn't noticed the holographic map that had sprung up over the console. They turned to it slowly, and their expressions broke into broad smiles of glee.

"We're headed straight for it!" X celebrated.

"What's our speed?" Flurry asked, and to her surprise, small, green numbers popped up at the bottom right corner of the screen. They were cruising at three hundred mph. "That's kind of fast, isn't it?"

"I think Zephyr can handle it," Tourian said, suddenly sounding very tired. "Right now, I just want to get her repaired and get home."

Flurry nodded in sober agreement, and X and Zero exchanged a pained look.

"I guess," X said quietly, "we'd better start thinking of it as home, anyway."

Flurry and Tourian didn't say anything, feeling anew the shame of what they'd done to the other two. They couldn't imagine what it was like - to be ripped from their own reality like a page torn from a novel. Some part of their spirit seemed lost back there, and it was a part of them they could never recover.

Zero was the first to break the ensuing silence. "We're approaching fast. Better get ready."

Not a word was said as the others went about preparations for the landing.

\--

"Brandon!" Emily screamed. "Your shift starts in five minutes! Don't you dare take off again!"

Brandon spun, hair flopping ungraciously into his eyes. His sister, a few years younger than he and somewhat smaller, glared daggers at him, shifting a wave of brown hair over her shoulder. His mouth tightened as he tried to think of a way to keep her at his station until he could drop off those supplies at Dr. Light's.

"I - wasn't taking off, Emily," he offered lamely. "I've got to make one, quick delivery, and then I'll be back. If you can take over for me until then -"

"No way! I handled your shift last week. I want a break this time." Her jaw was set stubbornly, mouth almost to the point of a pout, and she stood with her hands on her hips and legs spaced to shoulder width. "It's your fault you didn't plan around your job."

"Look, Emily -"

"Don't you try to -"

"Will you be quiet and -"

"Hey, I'm not gonna -"

"Guys, guys!" Nick shouted over the din. "Hush up! You're scaring the customers!"

They both stared at him, just coming out of the store room with some sort of adapter in hand. Brandon made for the door again, and Emily darted past the cash register in a fury, startling the woman Nick was waiting on. She caught up to her brother halfway out the door and hauled back on his arm with every ounce of strength she could muster. He strained against her, and she suddenly lost her grip, sending them both sprawling in opposite directions.

"Hang on a sec," Nick muttered to his customer. He walked over to the pair, who were getting to their feet, prepared to go at it again. "Look guys, why don't you both go and drop that stuff off, and I'll hold the fort here - okay?"

Emily sniffed. "All right," she said grudgingly.

Brandon looked at his friend in horror. "Aw, Nick, come on! I can't take her! She'll - she'll trip over something and break it. Or - or she'll be a total airhead and make me look like an idiot -"

"You don't need my help for that," Emily growled, pushing her hair out of her face.

Brandon shot her a glance as he continued. "Nick, can't you just come along?"

"Nah. Emily will do just fine." Nick was returning to his customer. "She needs to learn the delivery drill, anyway."

"Ha!" Emily smirked at her brother.

He didn't say anything, walking out to his truck and jumping in. He started the engine, taking off nearly before Emily got inside. She settled in and buckled up, muttering, "You are such a jerk sometimes, Brandon."

"Sorry," he muttered, and he actually did sound it.

"It's all right. I promise I won't say anything stupid."

The trip to the lab was made in silence, except when Emily said, "It's so pretty out here. I wish I could live here."

Brandon made a noncommittal noise. "I dunno. Lots of weird stuff happens around here."

A distant rumble sounded, and Emily glanced out the window. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. She turned to Brandon questioningly.

"Don't ask me," was all he said.

The rumble was repeated, followed this time by a sharp cracking noise.

"I don't think I want to know," Emily muttered.

"Well," Brandon remarked, braking lazily, "you're going to find out anyway. Help me unload." He swung the door open and stepped out.

The scene that greeted them was somewhat chaotic. The girl Brandon had spoken to the day before was helping someone out of a bashed-up vehicle, and she didn't look so hot herself. All of the ones who came slowly out of the machine had a look of weariness and resignation about them. Rock was leaning against the repaired wall of the lab, looking sullen. His dog was crouched next to him, whining softly.

"Hey, guys!" Brandon called out. "We've got your stuff!"

Rock turned his head and then looked away. He was in no mood to deal with anyone. And he had yet to tell Dr. Light the bad news.

Flurry looked up and Brandon and smiled wanly. "Bring it on over," she called tiredly. "I guess."

Rock nodded curtly.

There was near-tangible tension in the air as Brandon backed his truck up over by the machine, and Emily sat down on a pile of rubble to watch in silence. The truck pulled to a halt, and Brandon jumped out to help the group unload.

Flurry smiled gratefully, and Brandon called to his sister to help. She nodded and walked over, taking an armful of stuff and handing it to another of the people. Her gaze followed the group as they went about their business, and suddenly one of them stopped, tapping another on the shoulder. The pair snatched the equipment out of her hands and darted over to one side, muttering.

"But," one of them said, "this is only half the stuff we're gonna need - Flurry!"

"What is it, Tourian?"

"Where's the other stuff?"

"Oh - o-o-oh." The girl spun to face Brandon. "Um, Brandon, could you do us a huge favor?" Her eyes met his pleadingly, exhaustion seeping into her gaze. "We got some stuff from other stores - Zero knows which ones." The other glanced up at the sound of his name and nodded silently. "We were wondering," Flurry continued, "if you could pick up that other stuff for us."

"Uuuh." Her gaze held him completely, and he found himself agreeing before he'd even thought about it. "Yeah. Sure. No prob."

Emily made a disgusted noise. The damsel-in-distress bit got him every time.

"Thank you," said Flurry, releasing him. "Zero, tell him where to go."

With that taken care of, she turned to Rock, who refused to look at any of them. "What's with you?" she demanded. "Where are Dr. Light and the others?"

"They're inside," he answered, turning away.

"So why haven't you spoken to them yet?" she asked, curiosity creeping into her tone.

When he shifted his shoulders and wouldn't answer, Flurry realized in amazement that the small robot was ashamed about something. This withdrawn and angry display was not the result of sullenness or an injured ego. She sat down against the wall, eyes downcast.

"What's wrong, Rock?" Her eyes shifted to his slumped back. "Is it our fault?"

"No," he muttered barely audible. "It's my fault. I failed in my mission." He turned around. "I went chasing after Forte instead of trying to find Wily's lab." His eyes grew angry. "I feel so stupid!"

Flurry shook her head. "At least it was all destroyed."

"Sure, sure." He laughed bitterly. "I was supposed to retrieve some of it."

"Well," Flurry replied with some asperity, "stop pouting and do something about it. Just go talk to Dr. Light and patch the mess up." She shrugged and got to her feet. "We owe you a big apology, Rock. We lied to you, took advantage of you, and used you. But at this point, I don't really feel sorry. Snap out of it, already."

She walked away, leaving Rock staring after her. He watched her exchange a few quick words with Tourian, and he shook his head. It was so hard to believe they were robots, especially dressed in street clothes as they were. It was some time actually before he thought about the words they had exchanged, and he frowned at the pain they caused. She just doesn't get it, he thought stubbornly. She doesn't know what it's like to fail.

\--

Roll glanced out the window, wiping her hands dry after washing the dishes. "Dr. Light, I think they're back."

The scientist looked up. "Even Rock? Then, why didn't he -?"

"I don't know," she murmured, tilting her head. "Maybe something went wrong."

Kalinka looked up from where she sat, working at a puzzle with her father. "Went wrong? What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Roll repeated, turning from the window. She looked back over her shoulder, silently worried.

At that moment, a door slid open, admitting Rock with head bowed. Dr. Light rose quickly, and Cossack was on his feet almost as fast. They looked at him eagerly, until he lifted his eyes to theirs and gave his head the slightest shake. Light stared at him in silence.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Roll gestured quickly to Kalinka, who nodded in agreement and followed her out of the room. Their absence went unnoticed by the other three.

"The fortress blew before I had the chance -" His face twisted angrily. "No, that's not it. Blues says it's his fault, but it's not. If I hadn't gone after Forte, I'd have that robot safely here."

Cossack's head sank down against his chest. "Did Wily escape with his plans?"

"I don't know," Rock mumbled. "I don't think so. Flurry" his voice caught "says that everything was destroyed in that explosion."

Light sighed softly. "It's just as well. We have another chance to stop him, then."

Rock hung his head. "I'm sorry, Doc."

"No, no," Light replied, sounding tired. "It isn't your fault. We need to anticipate him. That will be the key to his defeat."


	39. Getting Under Way and Getting Under Foot

An empty quiet had settled over the site of Zephyr's crash landing. Flurry watched X and Tourian work with what supplies they had, taking care and hoping that whatever demon had possessed their machine did not wake again. Zero walked over and tapped her shoulder. She glanced into his expression of dry amusement.

"Ever felt like you don't know what's going on?" he asked her, gesturing at the other two.

Flurry smiled faintly. "I know what they're doing," she murmured indulgently, "but I'd just be in the way. They're having fun."

Zero shrugged. "Wonder how things are going with Rock." He grimaced. "Wonder if he told them - about us."

She looked at him sharply and gave her head a firm, stubborn shake. "He's got better sense than that. Surely."

Zero shrugged. "If he's anything like X, which I would assume, he's a little bit careless and maybe a touch thoughtless on the side."

X himself jumped out of Zephyr shouting, "Guys! Where are those parts? We'll never get home if -"

"X," Zero said patiently, "they're only hu -"

Flurry stopped his statement with a well-timed slap over the mouth. "Who's careless and thoughtless?" she asked him pleasantly, and he glared at her, jerking her hand away.

X looked at them blankly, finally shaking his head and going back inside with Tourian. They got to work again, clattering about until Tourian stepped outside.

"Guys, maybe we should hold off on the body work." He gestured to the hole in the hood, to the dent in the front. "I mean, if she works, we'll be able to repair her when we get home."

Flurry nodded in easy agreement. "Whatever you say, Tourian. And Brandon should be back -" The rumble of an arriving truck drew her attention. "Any time," she finished her statement.

"Get the stuff unloaded," Tourian said absently, getting back inside the machine.

"What - is grunt work all we're good for?"

Tourian shrugged from the doorway. "Don't take it personally."

They didn't exchange two words with Brandon and Emily after that, too absorbed in their own thoughts. The humans didn't seem to mind, being lost in their own wondering curiosity. Without a word, Brandon headed for the door to hand Dr. Light the bill. Rock met him there, nodded quietly, and closed the door.

Emily breathed a deep sigh of relief as they left the premises, and Brandon smiled wanly in agreement.

\--

Flurry leaned her head against the Zephyr, closing her eyes. Zero was sitting against the lab wall, boredly tugging up blades of grass. His eyes flicked up to Flurry, but he didn't say anything. X and Tourian were inside the machine, puttering around. They had shut the damaged side door, effectively keeping them and the animals from getting inside and getting in the way.

Ayrmin was flopped on the ground nearby, watching Jackdaw peck dully at a couple of bugs. Tremor was rolled over on his back with his belly in a patch of sunlight, purring drowsily. The dog suddenly sat up, scratching behind his left ear. His tongue lolled out, and Zero laughed softly. The holographic camouflage was so detailed, it showed fur, dirt, and even fleas being shaken from the animal's neck.

Flurry craned her head around at the sound of his voice, yawning expressively. She smiled at the animals, soaking in the lovely afternoon. "I guess I can't complain," she said, walking over and sitting in front of Zero. "They could have chosen a rainy day for this."

He grinned. "Yeah."

Silence followed their words, but not out of discomfort or embarrassment as much as a lack of anything to say. Zero looked up, a glint in his eye.

"I've got an idea."

"Hmm?" Flurry was looking up at the sky and the faint wisps of cloud that traced above her.

He got to his feet, flipping his saber into his hand. She looked up curiously.

"They always say you need to keep in practice." He took a fighting stance. "Let's get to it."

Flurry smiled, igniting her saber. "Why not?"

Without another sound, she flew at him, saber held high, but he danced lightly aside. She brought her saber down to block his swing, and sparks flew through the air. They sparred mostly in silence, except for an occasion yelp, shout, or laugh. Flurry was doing well, beating Zero back nearly against Zephyr, until she slipped in a patch of grass. She went down with a startled cry, and Zero sprang forward to mark a kill.

He stopped in mid-swing, gazing quietly at the lab. "Saved by the bell," he remarked, putting the saber away.

Flurry looked behind her, blinking. Rock stood there, watching them in the same silence he had been dealing them ever since their return from the fortress. Rush sat nearby, wagging his tail uncomprehendingly. Zero saw no reason to say anything to him, but Flurry stood up, putting her saber thoughtfully away.

"What is it?" she asked. "I mean" her voice took a sharp edge "if you're just here to sulk, you can go back inside."

He shook his head. "I'm - not. Dr. Light wanted me to ask if there was anything he could do to help."

"I'm not the one to ask," Flurry replied, jutting a thumb at the machine. "They are. But I think they've locked everyone out for a reason. Too many cooks, you know."

He shrugged. "I don't really care."

"That's funny, coming from you," Flurry told him. "I thought you were the big hero around here."

Zero chuckled, finding that most amusing. Rock glanced at him, wondering at the reason for his laughter. Flurry shot the blond robot a look, and he lifted his hands in surrender, face going serious again.

Rock's eyes went flat. "What do you care?"

"Maybe I don't care," Flurry retorted, "but I don't enjoy your stomping around like everything we do is a personal insult. We've already told you as much as you can afford to know - more in fact! So what do you want now?"

His expression grew suddenly pained. "I - I don't know. All I'm sure of is - that you need to get out of here as fast as I can get you out of here." He took a defensive posture, waiting for her to either blow up in his face or attack him.

"That's what we're trying to do."

"Yeah. I believe that."

Flurry's mouth twitched into a slight frown. "You should. We -"

"Lied."

"Actually," Zero broke in before the argument could escalate, "we never said a word to you. We didn't lie - and we didn't say anything to confirm what you chose to believe."

Rock spun on him, shaking. "You - you've all put my world in danger, and - all you've got to say is -"

"Hey, slow down a minute," Zero said sharply. "Put your world in danger? What danger? We got attacked, pal, not you."

The young robot clenched his fists frustratedly. "I don't know!" he shouted. "Ever since you got here - I've had this feeling. Like - the longer you stay, the more danger we're in! I - talking to you, I know it can't be you guys, but -"

Flurry felt a sudden chill, and her gaze fell to Zephyr. That machine's been more trouble than it was worth ever since Dr. Kreyin started building it. The sun glanced off the sleek, black machine, seeming to reflect every hardship and torment she and the other back at her mockingly.

"Tell Dr. Light -"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh -" Flurry's face grew dismayed at the sight of the man approaching them. "I was just going to say -"

The man stopped, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

"We're leaving as fast as we can," she said lamely. "Just a few more repairs, and we're out of here." She gave a sheepish grin, shrugging her shoulders. "Out of your - uh, backyard."

Rock's expression betrayed no suspicion, but Flurry knew it was there. He looked up as Dr. Light spoke to him. "Rock, I want you to go inspect the grounds at Wily's fortress - or what's left of it. See if there's anything of use there, before he can get back to it."

Rock nodded called his dog. "Rush jet," he said absently and jumped aboard when the dog had transformed. They zoomed away, leaving the rest in silence.

Ayrmin had jumped up at the other canine's performance, barking loudly at Flurry. She shushed him firmly, trying to quash the sinking feeling that he was going to attempt a similar transformation. "What is it, Ayrmin?" she demanded aloud. "What have you got to prove?"

The dog wagged at her, ducking his head playfully. Tremor got to his feet, walking over and swiping at Ayrmin's face. He was immediately caught up in a mock battle. The cat chose amazingly appropriate moments to divert the animal from doing something stupid.

Dr. Light was looking at them calmly, not saying a word. He finally cleared his throat nervously, smiling at them. "Please come inside, sit down. You must be bored, standing around out here."

Flurry glanced at Zero, and he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "Of course, Dr. Kre - Dr. Light," she finished softly.

Zero jabbed her shoulder as they fell in behind him. "What did you say that for?" he demanded, making sure the man couldn't hear. "And you said I was bad."

"Well, how's he supposed to know what I'm talking about, anyway?"

At that point they broke off, entering the living room area. Dr. Light gestured to Roll, who jumped to her feet and walked over to them. Dr. Cossack nodded slowly at them all and started off toward a different part of the lab, his daughter trailing behind him. She glanced back at them and stopped walking when Dr. Light approached. He smiled as he passed by her, patting her shoulder. The girl stood still, hands on her hips as she saw the scientists head off to their work.

"He is always working!" she lamented. "Always working when he comes here. Does he never rest?"

Roll turned to her, shaking her head sadly. "Aw, Kalinka, he'll be okay. We'll get them to bed on time tonight." She made a face at the world in general and sighed wearily. "I wonder what they're doing that's so important."

Flurry and Zero looked at each other uncomfortably, and Zero cleared his throat. Roll swung her head to look at them, ponytail swirling.

"Oh!" She seemed startled to see them. "I'm sorry. Have a seat." She pointed to the couch.

They sat down on opposite ends, Flurry with her hands folded and gazing into her lap. Zero sprawled back lazily, pretending at boredom. Roll nodded to Kalinka, who knelt down at the coffee table with her puzzle. Roll immediately went to the kitchen, to sit on a stool and think.

"Mm, do you want to help?" Kalinka asked the pair timidly.

Zero shot Flurry a look, and she shot him one right back. Finally relenting, she slid off the couch and crouched down beside the girl. "I'd be glad to," she murmured.

\--

Rock scanned the grounds before swinging around to land, and as the dust settled around Rush, he walked up to the rubble heap that had been a fortress. He kicked a chunk of concrete, and it rattled away, clicking against other rocks, not to mention glass and steel. Rush wagged his tail and pounced after it, bringing it back in his mouth.

"Not now, Rush," he said softly, and the dog dropped his catch, whining as Rock walked past him.

He covered the area bit by bit, hauling up collapsed slabs of wall, and digging through piles of dirt and gravel. In two hours' time, he had finished, unsuccessful. There's nothing here. I've failed again. His shoulders slumped as he turned away, preparing to go home.

"Well, well. Look who's scavenging through my fortress."

Rock spun. "Forte!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know you missed me." The black-and-gold robot threw him a cheeky grin, and Gospel rumbled his low howl.

"About like I'd miss a thorn in my side," Rock snapped meaningfully.

Forte shrugged. "So," he yawned, rolling his eyes. "What did you find?"

"Nothing."

The robot nodded. "About what I expected. 'Course, you don't know what to look for anyway." He nudged a couple of scraps of rubble aside with his foot. "You don't mind, of course?"

"Be my guest." Rock watched the other, his enemy, sift boredly through the remains of Wily's colossal base. After a moment, he said, "So, what do you think of them?"

Forte glanced up, amusement in his face. "Them who?"

"You know who I'm talking about."

He shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, they can go back where they came from. All they're doing is screwing up my life."

"How far in the future do you think they're from?"

"Do I care?" he asked sharply. "Wily already thinks I'm insane for thinking they're robots, and the sooner they leave, the better."

"Yeah," Rock murmured.

Forte finished his inspection of the grounds in a mere fifteen minutes and walked back to where Gospel had sat the whole time. "I'd stop worrying about them, if I was you, Rock. Not that I care what you do." He smiled coldly. "As a matter of fact, if they keep you off balance for a while, that's all the better for me." He shrugged dismissively. "But I want them gone more than I care about you getting messed up."

Rock looked at him silently. "Forte."

"What?"

"You hate Wily."

Forte leaned back on his heels and rocked forward again. "What's that to you?" He growled. "I hate the guy - lots. I wish he'd get run over by a semi." He raised a hand, forestalling Rock's immediate argument. "But I hate you more. I'll stick with Wily until he finds a way to defeat - no, destroy you." He laughed at Rock's suddenly angry eyes. "And I'll be the one to pull the trigger."

"That's not gonna happen, Forte."

"Sure."

"It's never gonna happen."

Forte looked away, restraining the urge to beat some sense into the robot - with a metal pipe. "Rock, you're not indestructible. There'll be a day. You just wait." He smiled distantly. "I know I am." He warped away before the other could respond.

"Rush jet," Rock said flatly.

\--

Blues yawned, leaning against the tree he'd been hiding behind. He had witnessed the entire exchange and was left with a feeling of quiet worry. He remembered clearly a discussion he'd had some time ago concerning Forte and Gospel. The feeling was similar to that which he had received after listening to his brother boast.

Brother, I think you've met your match over there. Wily did a good job with those two, and they won't be very easy to dispose of.

Please, Rock had laughed. They're a couple of amateurs.

I'm serious. They're more of a danger than you think. I -

Blues, just hush up and let me fight. They'll be out of our hair in no time flat.

Blues smiled bitterly. But I was right, Rock. They're still around. He stood up slowly. It was time to pay Wily a call.

\--

"I just can't figure out where this one goes," Kalinka murmured, holding a puzzle piece up to the light of the overhead and frowning thoughtfully.

Flurry glanced at it and held her hand out. Kalinka dropped it into her palm, and she quietly inserted it into the proper place. The Russian girl shook her head unbelievingly.

"How -?"

Flurry shrugged, looking somewhat depressed. "I'm good at puzzles."

Zero cracked a bitter grin, and she frowned at him.

The ensuing silence was broken only by Roll, humming from the kitchen. She went about preparing a meal for everyone as evening deepened. Zero leaned his chin on his hand, falling asleep, or at least seeming to, and Flurry kept a wary eye out for anything unusual.

For an hour they sat that way, unwilling to do anything that involved talking, until the door slammed open, admitting an ecstatic Tourian into the room, followed by a somewhat more subdued X. Tourian immediately ran over to Flurry, pulling her to her feet and into a fierce embrace.

"It works!" he shouted upon releasing her, and she staggered to get her footing. "We finally fixed it!"

X smiled faintly at his enthusiasm. "Yeah. That bug didn't crop up again. Kind of weird, but if it gets us - home - who cares?"

Flurry smiled a genuine smile for what seemed like the first time in months. "We can go home? Right now? I mean - we can go back to -" She broke off, unable to complete her thought.

"Yeah!" Tourian said happily. "Right now - we could -"

They all stopped as Roll entered the room. "You're leaving?"

Kalinka stood up. "You are leaving." She said it slowly, as if unwilling to believe it. "I suppose you won't be helping me finish the puzzle, then," she said to Flurry, who blinked at her.

"I -" she began.

"Won't you say good-bye to everyone first?" Roll queried.

"I -" Tourian started.

"What about Rock?" Kalinka said quietly.

"Uh," was all X could think of to say.

"What about me?" Rock demanded from the doorway, seeming annoyed at them all for being there.

"Rock, they're going home," Roll explained.

"Good!" he snapped and stalked away, headed toward the labs.

Kalinka stared after him. "Why is he so angry?"

Zero got up. "If we're leaving, let's go. We've been here too long already."

"I don't want this to seem like we're sneaking off," offered Flurry. "But we need to go."

Roll shook her head. "I'll tell Dr. Light and everyone." She smiled uncertainly. "Good luck, wherever you're headed."

Kalinka patted Flurry's arm. "I wish you could stay and help me. There's no way I'll be able to finish it alone." She was unable to think of anything else to say, anything more meaningful. But somehow she felt that their leaving would be a great loss to everyone.

Flurry shook her head. "You'll do fine," she said, thinking of how foolish this all sounded.

The others exchanged discomfited looks until Flurry finally broke the silence. "You keep an eye on them," she said to Roll. "You know men can't take care of themselves."

Roll smiled. "I always do."

Kalinka laughed. "I will help her. With us, nothing bad will happen."

The others were headed to the door, and Zero gave Flurry's wrist a quick tug before leaving. She nodded.

"Good luck," Roll repeated herself. "Get home safely."

Flurry waved as she ran out the door.

\--

"Get inside," Tourian muttered. "Quick."

The animals were settled in the back, Ayrmin wagging his tail and lolling his tongue, looking generally doggy. Jackdaw was flapping his wings at Tremor, who was ignoring him with every ounce of dignity he could muster.

Flurry turned to the front and blinked, startled to see X seated in the copilot's chair. She fought to keep an injured expression off her face and moved away to sit on one of the beds. She pulled her legs up underneath her, cupping her chin in her hands and pouting as Tourian took the pilot's chair.

"Geez," she muttered, "just because they don't let me help with repairs doesn't mean I can't handle flying the thing."

Zero shrugged, sitting down across from her. "Don't take it personally."

"I'm sorry," she said, softly enough that the other two couldn't hear, "but how would you feel if someone who's been a brother - your only family - suddenly shut you out?"

"You mean," he retorted, leaning back, "how did I feel."

She met his eyes. "I don't understand."

"Never mind. It's history."

"Everything's history," she answered.

"Guys, you might want to get your armor back on. We're getting under way," Tourian announced from the front. "We've got all the coordinates laid in, but we've got to get back to the lab site."

"Thanks for telling me," Flurry muttered.

She felt a slight rumble as Zephyr lifted off, headed for wherever this time's equivalent of Kreyin's hangar was. She suddenly looked at Ayrmin, to see if he thought anything was wrong. The dog was panting contentedly, eyes closed drowsily.

"All right," Tourian said, "We're there. Prepare for warp."

She saw X tap a couple of controls and throw him a thumbs-up. She felt herself start to pout and took firm control of her expression.

"Coordinates locked in," X said, "All systems check out."

"All right, punch it!"

Flurry closed her eyes as the time-jump began.


	40. The Voyage Home

Tourian smiled to himself as he looked over Zephyr's controls. A feeling of self-satisfaction was threading its way through his systems. Whatever that bug had been, they'd defeated it, with no damage to the timeline, even. He glanced over at X, momentarily disconcerted to see him sitting in Flurry's seat, but the feeling passed quickly. X was more familiar with the systems than even Flurry, now, which made him better qualified to man that station.

His twin seemed tiredly content to be in a position of 'authority,' so to speak, happy to be accomplishing something constructive. X settled back in his chair, closing his eyes and relaxing. "How long should this take, Tourian?" he asked.

"Just a couple minutes. There's a little time displacement, but not much."

Flurry looked up to the front, crossing her arms. He should know that.

Zero lifted an eyebrow, noting her angry posture. "Hey, I already told you to let it go," he growled at her. "It's not your problem."

Ayrmin suddenly got to his feet with the slightest of rumbles, and Flurry sat up sharply. "What is it, Ayrmin?"

The dog turned his head and barked at her beratingly.

"I love you, too, mutt," she snapped. "Why not just -"

"We're approaching our timeframe," Tourian commented drily from the front. "Everybody suited up?"

"Roger," Zero yawned.

Flurry allowed herself a smirk. "Diane's not going to be happy about this."

Zero looked at her curiously. "Who's Diane?"

\--

Diane Holcomb spun to face Dr. Kreyin, eyes flashing a grim warning. "Where are they, Dr. Kreyin? What did you do to my machine!?"

Kreyin could only stare at the spot where Zephyr had been, barely containing a grief-stricken wail. Ray Lawrence scuttled behind his wife, moaning obsequiously. "Oh, Diane don't lose your temper - he's the best scientist we've got -!"

"I don't care!" Diane screamed. "He stole my machine! It could be worth millions!"

The three Company execs eyed each other nervously and began a hasty retreat through the scientist's cubicle. They decided to leave the techs where they lay, opting for their own lives in the face of adversity. Diane, Ray, and Kreyin took absolutely no notice of them.

Kreyin turned his head, eyes going wide with horror. The head of the Company had him at gunpoint, hands trembling as she gripped an old-fashioned pistol.

"Diane," Ray was insisting, "listen to me -"

She turned her head. "Shut up, you disgusting little man!"

Mr. Lawrence cringed back and shut his mouth.

"Now, where did you send that machine?" she asked darkly, grimly aiming her gun.

"I - I didn't!" Kreyin cried. "I didn't know they were going to -"

"Didn't KNOW?" She took a step forward. "They're your creations, Doctor - your children I believe you called them once. And you didn't know what they were up to?"

"It wasn't my idea," Kreyin pleaded. "You must believe me!"

"It'll be a cold day in - huh?"

She turned her head sharply, staring as he was at the vision that appeared out of nowhere to hang heavily in the air before them. Zephyr had returned.

\--

"What's up?" Flurry asked, pushing her way to the front. "Zephyr, give me a visual."

This time, the computer complied to her request, calling up an image that sent chills down her spine. Tourian yelled something horrified, unable to do anything but watch as Diane Holcomb bore down on their creator with a loaded pistol.

"Dr. Kreyin!" Flurry wailed. "Tourian, do something!"

When he didn't respond, she ran for the side door. Practically weeping, she tore at it, finally wrenching it open and leaping outside.

"Flurry!" Zero shouted. "Wait!"

She didn't answer, pounding straight at Diane. The woman stared at the approaching robot for a moment, then panicked. Kreyin opened his mouth to cry out when he saw her squeeze the trigger, but nothing happened.

The whole world stopped. Diane turned her head back sharply, her shoulder-length hair flying into her face, staring as Kreyin rocked backwards, taking the impact of the bullet like a rag doll.

Flurry screamed. "Dr. Kreyin!"

She rushed past Diane, who dropped her hands to her sides. The gun clattered to the floor. Scooping the scientist up, she made for Zephyr sobbing as she ran. Oh, God, it's all my fault!

Holcomb made no move to stop her as she jumped back inside and the machine rose from the ground, suddenly howling for her husband. "Ray! Get over here!"

The man hurried forward, eyes wide. "Yes? What is it -"

She screamed incoherently at him, kicking and throwing her fists at the air. Rage consumed her. Rage at the loss of the machine, rage at the loss of the scientist who knew about the machine, rage at - But she stopped. Ray, who had fallen to the ground, hands covering his head, glanced up at her nervously. She was laughing. Hysterically. The richly rasping sound might have been considered mad from any other individual. But not from Diane Holcomb.

"Idiots!" she laughed, raising her fists to the roof of the hangar, where a hole glared down at her from Zephyr's passage. "You fools!" She spun on her heel, running back to the cubicle. "You may have your scientist - but I have the computer!"

Ray stared after her, then got to his feet and followed, fiddling nervously with his tie. By the time he reached Diane, she was working away at the computer, a cold smile lighting her face as she transferred every file in the system to disk. She proceeded in silence for a long time, then suddenly smote the computer console.

"Protected?! How dare he!" She glared wrathfully, trying to hack through Kreyin's password system. But set of passwords designed to keep robots at bay is no easy thing to get into. Diane's eyes grew flat as she finally backed away from the computer. "You haven't won yet, Janus Kreyin," she snarled. "I have most of your files anyway." She smiled coldly. "The rest we can reconstruct."

Ray shifted uneasily until she noticed him.

"Get those techs off the floor," she snapped. "We're going back."

"Y-yes, Diane," the man whimpered, darting back into the hangar.

That fool scientist would pay for defying her. They would all pay. She'd tear those robots apart, piece by piece, right before his eyes, and then she'd get to work on him. He'd die a death worthy of the media coverage they'd given him and his Third Discovery. Her lips curved into a feral grin. Just you wait.

\--

Zero stared unwillingly at the human who lay dying at his feet. Another scientist, another who'd built Reploids, only to have them destroy and be destroyed. He wondered vaguely what had made Flurry and Tourian immune.

"Tourian, we have to get to a hospital!" Flurry was saying. "There's one near here -"

"Flurry, shut up! I'm going as fast as I can."

Tourian and X were pushing the machine to its limits, and wind screamed over the hole in the hood. Flurry crouched down beside the scientist, whispering gently.

"It'll be all right, Dr. Kreyin. We'll get you somewhere safe."

Kreyin opened his eyes, staring uncertainly at her. His mouth moved, and Flurry strained to listen to him. "A-anna?" he asked softly, "Where were you? What took you so - long?" His voice trailed off in a sigh, and he fell unconscious.

Flurry made no effort to disguise her sobs as they flew on.


	41. The Long, Cold Wait

Flurry's eyes filled with tears yet again as Tourian scrambled for a vid-phone in the hospital emergency room. The robots had switched out of their armor upon reaching the place, lowering Zephyr into a parking space amid the shrieks and frightened cries of the people there. Tourian had found his phone and was waiting impatiently for the woman using it to leave. Flurry sank to her knees, unable to come to grips with what had happened. Dr. Kreyin - shot - and she - she -

It was my fault. If only I hadn't -

X and Zero stood silent beside her, and she leaned her face into her hands, trying to keep from blacking out. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see X, kneeling next to her, eyes fixed kindly on her face.

"X, I could have - I shouldn't have -" She turned her head, eyes closed. "He - he could die now - and it's all my fault."

He shook his head firmly, turning her head and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Flurry," he said softly, ducking his head next to her ear, "I understand how you feel. The same thing happened to me when Zero died."

"But he came back!" she wailed, turning and pounding her fist against his chest. "If Dr. Kreyin dies -"

"Flurry," Tourian said sharply. "What's Dr. Trene's department?"

She looked at him dazedly, and X helped her to her feet. "I - he's -" Her face grew suddenly annoyed. "Robotics - du-uh! He was in programming, just like Dr. Kreyin."

"Well, okay then!" Tourian turned back to the phone, which wasn't currently displaying a video image. It never did when a person was talking to an operator. "Yeah, I'd - uh - like to speak to Scott Trene. Yes, I'll hold." He paused, tapping his foot on the floor. "Yes. Robotics. Programming. Yes, I know that department was disbanded. No - look, where is he now? Fine! Connect me, then! I don't care if it's visual! Urrgh. Tell him that Anna wants to talk to him. No, I'm not Anna!"

Flurry approached the payphone, smiling bravely. Zero slapped her comfortingly on the back, and she patted his arm as she passed. X watched Tourian in silence.

"Dr. Trene?" he was asking, as an image sprang up on the screen.

Flurry pushed Tourian gently out of the way, smiling softly at the man on the screen. "Dr. Scott?" she whispered to the image.

The man on the viewscreen goggled for a moment. "Anna! It can't - wait a minute." His eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Does Mrs. Holcomb have something to do with this?"

"No!" Flurry said quickly. "It's Flurry, Dr. Trene. Remember me?"

His jaw dropped. "Flurry - of all the - what in heaven's name are you calling here for?"

Flurry lowered her voice hurriedly. "Dr. Kreyin's been shot, Scott. We -"

"Shot!" he exploded, then adjusted his tone. "Who did it? I'll -"

"It was Diane Holcomb," Flurry said flatly. "But that doesn't matter right now! He may be dying, and we need your help -"

"But what can I -?"

"You can take care of him until we've found a safe place to stay." Flurry's eyes were almost pleading.

Scott Trene shook his head, suddenly very weary. "I - I can't take off right now. Which hospital are you at?"

"Midwest Medical Center." Flurry's face lit with hope. "It's on -"

Dr. Trene was nodding. "I know where it is. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Flurry murmured her thanks and turned away from the viewscreen, signing off. Tourian sank against the wall, and Zero walked over.

"So what do we do now?" he asked mildly.

Tourian glanced at Flurry, who was staring numbly at the floor. "We wait," he said.

"That's all we can do," murmured X.

They sat in silence for an hour, Flurry playing with a lock of her hair, Tourian and X playing paper, rock, scissors. Zero yawned loudly. Flurry shot him a glance, and he shrugged, turning his back to her and flopping in a half-snooze over the arm of his chair. She realized that boredom was overtaking all of them and moved to do something about it, walking up behind him to catch a lock of his long, blond hair in her hand. A faint smirk tilted her lips as she took up the rest of his hair.

"You know, Zero," she commented, "it wouldn't look half bad in a braid. What do you think, X?"

X glanced up as Tourian shouted, "Rock breaks scissors! I win again!" He laughed heartily at the look X gave him.

"I dunno," X said to Flurry absently, "Why not check it out?"

Flurry restrained a laugh, certain that X hadn't been listening to a word she'd said. Zero gave his friend a long-suffering look, which was equally ignored. He finally gave up and tried to forget about what Flurry was doing. He twitched violently, and she told him to hold still. Tourian and X looked up from their game, and Tourian shook his head.

That tears it, Zero growled mentally, and he got to his feet, giving his head a shake to erase whatever had been done to his flowing, golden mane. Flurry giggled at his annoyance, releasing him easily.

"Gee, Zero," she purred, "I thought you were bored. Wouldn't a new hairstyle be interesting enough for you?"

"Too interesting," he retorted, sending Flurry into gales of helpless laughter.

She finally covered her mouth with her hand, eyes twinkling, and Tourian shouted, "Paper covers rock! Score another for me!"

X grumbled something unintelligible, and Tourian's triumphant grin grew broader. Flurry suddenly became quiet, and she walked past the two seats that held X and Tourian, headed for the lobby doors. Her step was listless, and her head was sunk in a sudden wave of sorrow, and Zero followed her, asking what she was after.

"I just want to go outside for a minute," she explained.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

Her face took a slight pout. "I don't care if it's a good idea - I want to check on Zephyr."

"Gimme a break. Zeph's just fine." Zero lowered his voice, taking her arm and leading her back to where the others sat. "With that holographic camouflage, she looks just like a car."

"Leave me go," Flurry said tiredly. "Maybe I just -"

At that moment, the lobby doors burst open, admitting a disheveled-looking young woman with her male companion in tow. Flurry watched curiously as the young man broke away from the girl, who ran to the person running the desk, tears in her eyes. The youth sauntered lazily past a group of girls, who sighed as they stared at him. Zero had gotten Flurry to sit down and was flopped in his own chair again, gazing out at nowhere. He was about to fall into a snooze when Flurry made a disgusted noise.

"What's with you?" he asked sleepily.

"Oooh! If there's anything I hate, it's a - a womanizer!" She sniffed, crossing her legs daintily and turning away from the scene.

One of the girls sighed pathetically, "Oh, if only he'd notice me! That Dan Wood is such a babe!"

"Too bad," another told her, leaning over conspiratorially, "he's already taken. What a hunk!"

Flurry groaned in horror, putting her face in her hands, and Zero took a chance and laughed at her. "What?" he asked mockingly, "Just because he'd never look twice at you -"

"You shut up, Zero!" Flurry shrieked, getting to her feet and stalking over to him. Seated, he was shorter than her at full height - a little, and she glared down at him, practically shouting into his face. "What makes you think I'm not just as attractive as any girl in this room?!"

X started laughing at him in his predicament, and Tourian muttered something to him that made him laugh even harder. Zero didn't have a chance to defend himself from their insults, faced as he was by Flurry's spark-throwing fury.

"I - uh, I -"

"Speak up, hotshot!" Flurry shouted. "I can't hear you!"

"I - never said anything - of the kind," he said, trying to retain some shred of dignity in an undignified situation.

"That's telling him, kid!" called one girl from across the lobby. "Don't let your boyfriend talk to you that way!"

Flurry spun away from Zero, going crimson. "My WHAT?"

The girl looked a touch startled and shrank back nervously. "Sorry - I didn't mean anything."

Tourian bent double with laughter, and Flurry couldn't decided who to turn on in her rage.

"Oh, all of you just shut up!" she wailed, throwing her arms up in distress, and someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned, startled to see the same young man who had been making young ladies swoon leaning over her shoulder patronizingly.

"So, uh, I take it that means you're available," he grinned at her.

Shocked and suddenly outraged, not to mention taken aback by his statement, she smacked him across the face, barely remembering to temper her blow so that it wouldn't hurt him badly. Zero's jaw dropped as the young man dropped to the floor and sat up, rubbing his cheek in astonishment.

"Actually," the unarmored robot commented drily, "I'm really glad she's not my girlfriend. I'd hate to take the brunt of her jealous rage."

Flurry resisted the urge to get a stranglehold on him and returned to her chair, calmly flipping her hair over her shoulder. Yet more time passed after the incident, and Dan Wood retreated across the room to his 'harem' of sighing females, all of whom attended the reddening welt on his cheek. He smiled wanly at them all, waiting for his girlfriend to return from checking on her mother. Sheesh, he thought wearily, some people just can't take a joke. He leaned back and decided to forget that the whole thing had ever happened.

After some time, a nurse stepped down the hall, and Flurry flagged the black woman down. She walked over, face inquisitive, looking very busy behind her clipboard. "Yes?"

"I was wondering," Flurry said softly, "about - um - Janus Kreyin?"

"Hm-mm," she said, smiling, "he should be in surgery now, honey." Her smile turned bright, as if to reassure her about something. "He'll make it just fine, you know. That man Utterback is a right fine doctor."

Flurry smiled lamely in return. "Er - thanks, ma'am."

"Oh, honey, you can call me Nicole. Ev'body else does."

The woman started to turn away, but swept back around with a puzzled look on her face. "That's just the funniest name, you know? Kreyin - jes' like that scientist so long ago." She shrugged, not seeing Flurry's start of trepidation.

"Yeah," Flurry murmured weakly, "Funny."

"Well," boomed out a voice from behind them as the nurse moved away. "It's good to hear that he's in surgery. He's only a couple hours away from being back with the rest of us, then."

Flurry spun in her chair, staring uncomprehendingly at Dr. Scott Trene. Relief immediately colored her face, and she very nearly jumped to her feet and hugged the man just for coming. As it was, Dr. Trene could barely keep from staring at her, at how much she looked like Anna.

"I'm so glad you came," Flurry whispered, taking his arm and pulling him around the chair. "He'll wake up soon after surgery - and he needs a friend -"

He raised a hand. "An - Flurry, I don't know how much I can do. I have a job, and -" He stopped at the sudden look of horrified panic in her eyes. "Flurry, I'll do what I can." He shook his head. "He can come live at my house for a while once he's out of the hospital. I'm sure my wife will enjoy having someone else to cook for."

Zero wandered over to X and Tourian, who had paused in their game and were watching Flurry and Scott Trene. She and the scientist were deep in their conversation, until Flurry started, looking at them all. She then proceeded to give introductions.

"Dr. Trene," she said easily, "This is Tourian, but you already know him." Tourian made a face at her, but she ignored him. "This is Zero. And this is X." Zero nodded absently, and X waved with a grin. "They - well, it's a little complicated, and I don't think we have time to explain."

Scott turned to her. "But you will - someday?"

She nodded. "Can you stay with us tonight? We need all the support we can get."

The scientist heaved a deep sigh. "I'll need to call my wife, but I can stay until work tomorrow morning. He should be ready to leave by then."

Tourian looked thoughtful. "Sure, Doc. That suits me fine." He glanced cautiously at Flurry as he continued. "You can take care of him, I know."

At these reassurances, the man sat down, face tired, and the wait began again.

The quiet that sank over the waiting room was nearly tangible, creeping into corners and sweeping over the assembled people much like darkness when the sun goes down. The intense quiet was beginning to get to Dr. Trene, and he got to his feet and started to pace, staring mutely at the floor. Flurry and Tourian were snoozing, Flurry slumped over and leaning her head against her counterpart, who had his arm comfortably wrapped around her shoulders. Zero was seated in another chair, forehead resting against his fist, letting his hair shield any expression of worry, anger or fear. X glanced at him in concern, but every time he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, something told him that he'd better just let it go.

Two hours passed in that fashion, and Scott finally settled into a chair and went to sleep. Flurry and Tourian woke up, and Flurry stretched, working out a couple of kinks. She looked over at X and couldn't do anything but stare. He was slumped with his head flopped backwards and his mouth open, making a great show of being asleep. Zero jabbed him in the ribs and told him to shut his mouth before he started catching flies.

X was about to reply, when someone cleared his throat from behind them. They all turned, surprised to see a young doctor standing there, looking nervous.

"Dr. Utterback?" Flurry asked softly, remembering the name of the man who was to operate on Dr. Kreyin.

He nodded, seeming uncertain, then flashed her a reassuring smile. "I came to tell you that your friend is out of surgery and recovering nicely. He should be awake in a couple of hours."

Flurry nodded, repressing a shriek of wild joy. He's all right! He's -

Scott Trene walked up to the doctor, nodding his approval and giving his thanks. The young man blinked in recognition.

"Scott Trene!" he said in amazement. "What are you doing here? It's been forever, sir!"

Scott nodded slowly, recognizing him as a former student. "I came to check up on my friend. The one you just operated on."

The surgeon looked surprised. "You know him?"

"Yes, Casey," the scientist said, and would elaborate no further on the subject.

"Well, I'll send a nurse out when he wakes up." As Dr. Utterback started to walk away, his cell phone buzzed. He fumbled with it for a moment, finally flipping it out. "Hello? David!? What are you -?" His expression became exasperated. "No, I can't go golfing right now. I'm -" He paused in midstep, glancing heavenward for support. "I'm off in an hour - can it wait until then? Rrr - then start without me!" The man started walking again, muttering into the phone. "Listen up, Anderson, I've got a job. A responsibility! I don't have time to go jaunting off to the golf course every time you -"

Flurry turned away, shaking her head in amazement. "I want to go see Dr. Kreyin," she said softly.

"I know," Scott murmured. "Janus is a good friend. I'll do the best I can for him."

Tourian rose suddenly, taking Flurry by the arm and tugging her over to X and Zero. "We have to leave now," he said without preamble.

"What?" Flurry protested. "But I wanted to -"

"Flurry," Zero said flatly, "the longer we stay here, the more chance there is that this Company of yours will find us - and him - and kill the every one of us!"

Grudgingly, Flurry nodded. Her gaze shifted to Dr. Trene, who was watching them all curiously. She smiled wanly at him, and called out, "We have to go now - don't worry, we'll be back soon!"

They were practically dragging her as she waved at him, and as the glass doors swung shut behind her, he had the feeling that it would be the last he saw of her for some time.

\--

"Guys, you can quit that now," Flurry said flatly, and they relaxed their grip, hurrying over to the Zephyr.

As she darted inside, Flurry experienced the odd feeling that something was going to happen. She dismissed it immediately, more interested in taking off. X and Tourian settled into their respective places, and Flurry worked hard to crush the feelings of displacement that threatened to overtake her as she sat down on the bed once again.

"That's better," Zero remarked, across from her. "You get used to it after a while."

She didn't answer, turning her head to ignore him.

"Final systems check," X said, "All systems functioning properly."

"All right. Let's rev 'er up," Tourian replied cheerfully.

Flurry sighed softly, hearing the machine get under way.

"Hey, X, what're you doing over there?" Tourian asked suddenly.

"I'm not doing anything. Why?"

Flurry looked up and heard a low growl from behind her. "Tourian!"

"What is it?" he asked.

"Ayrmin - look at the dog!"

Ayrmin was on his feet, snarling softly, head low to the ground and eyes flashing. Tourian went pale. "No - not again!"

"Please!" Flurry wailed. "Not now! Not now of all times!"

"What's going on?" Zero asked sharply, but he received no response from the panicking Flurry.

X suddenly stared at the time gauge. "What the -?"

The needle was spinning wildly, and this time, no one had any idea where it would send them.


	42. The Passage of Time

"Janus! What in the devil are you doing?" Scott Trene's wife scrambled frantically toward the man. "You put that phone down right now!"

The man holding the phone stared at her a moment.

"Please, Janus," she said wearily. "You know you can't make phone calls."

He sighed, putting the phone back on the hook. "I'm sorry. I was just -"

"Just go sit down for a while," the woman said firmly, cutting him off. "Scott will be home in an hour, thank heavens."

Dr. Kreyin seated himself in Scott's easy chair by the television, closing his eyes tiredly. It had been a week since he had left the hospital, and he had seen neither hide nor hair of Flurry and Tourian. He was beginning to lose hope. Scott told him that they had met him at the hospital, that Flurry and Tourian had saved his life - as well as two strangers. X and Zero. The names rolled around in his mind, familiar and foreboding. And I thought it was Anna. Oh, Anna. I wish you could be here. You could help me through this. He rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes. What can I do now? Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm trapped in this house - I can't look for my - my children.

"Oh, Janus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap." Scott's wife, Lynn, was standing next to him, holding a cup of tea in her hands. "Here. This will make you feel better."

He took the cup, barely able to hold his hands steady. I have to find something to do. I have to find a way to look for them -

Lynn shook her head sadly. The poor man. It's just terrible. She returned to the kitchen, slipping her apron off. She had started working the night shift at her job ever since Kreyin had arrived so that either she or her husband would be home with him, day or night. She willed Scott to hurry home so she wouldn't be late. Her eyes shifted to the phone. Any minute, she was certain the man would call, saying he had to stay late. Well, tonight I have to go - or they'll fire me!

Before she could change her mind, Lynn reached for her coat and changed out of her house slippers. "Janus, I have to go to work now." She bit her lip, noting the man's lack of response. "Please apologize to Scott for me. And - take care of yourself."

He still didn't answer, even though she knew he'd heard her. Shaking her head again, she left the house and went to work. The moment she shut the door behind her, the phone rang. Kreyin stirred from his chair, walking slowly over to it. By the fifth ring, he reached it and answered it.

"Hello?"

Scott, from the other end of the line, yelped. "Where's Lynn?" His tone was hushed. "You aren't supposed to answer the phone!"

"She had to leave early," Kreyin said soberly. "She apologizes."

"Blast! And I have to work late - you stay put! God only knows what kind of trouble I'll be in."

"Don't talk so loud, Scott."

"Huh? Oh - good-bye." The man hung up without waiting for a response.

Janus replaced the phone in the cradle. "I'm sorry, Scott. I can't stay put."

His eyes took a stubborn look as he contemplated the foolhardiness of what he was about to do. I must go back to my lab. There is vital information there, just waiting for the Company to take it. He stepped steadily to the front door, turning the handle with a cold calculation that he usually only needed when writing a computer program. Dr. Trene had a bicycle in his garage, and the garage was not locked.

In moments, the deed was done, and Janus Kreyin was biking his way back to his lab near the ruins. He knew for a fact that Mrs. Holcomb would have set guards to patrol the area, watching for him especially. A fine mess, a fine mess. It was well over an hour's ride to the lab, giving him plenty of time to think of some way past them.

His mind was still abuzz with ideas when he pulled up into the parking lot that led to what had been his home for nearly eight years. He stared in wonder. The place was a tomb. What are you up to, Diane Holcomb? Maybe she thinks I'm dead. He wasn't willing to bet his life on that, so he dropped the bike carefully to the ground and set off to the main building. The building was as empty as the grounds had been, silent and wary. Dust was collecting on the floor, indicating that no one had been through in all the time he'd been gone.

Half in a dream, he pushed open the door to his lab, startled to see the computer still functioning. She didn't crush it when she found the lockout? Hmm-hm-hm. He allowed himself a chuckle. He opened all his files, wondering what to do with them, now that he had them. I can't let them fall into her hands. That much is certain.

Suddenly, his face grew sorrowful. I know what I have to do. Eyes grave, he tapped in a sequence of keys he had hoped he'd never have to use. His hand hovered briefly, almost regretfully, above the keyboard before he punched the final key - and the computer crashed, taking with it every file, folder, and schematic that Kreyin had ever made use of. A complete and total memory wipe, and with one more step, that computer would never be activated again. At least - at least she doesn't have it all.

Kreyin rose from the computer, putting his hand to his head. It was time to get back to his new home. With luck, Scott was not home, and he would never find out about his little excursion.

Utter quiet still ruled the parking lot as he left, pedaling his bike and thinking to himself. Flurry, Tourian, forgive me. But if you're not here, I need someone else to help me.

\--

He reached Scott's house in due time, wearily resigned when he saw Scott's truck parked in the driveway. The man was probably in hysterics, but he couldn't call anyone.

Kreyin turned the doorknob and was rewarded with a warning voice growling, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"It's me, Scott."

"Janus?"

"Yes."

The door creaked open to admit him, and Trene took his arm and dragged him to a chair. "Where were you, Janus? I nearly went crazy." He closed his eyes. "I thought sure the Company had gotten you."

"No. I went back to my old lab."

"You what?"

"There weren't any guards or anything of that sort. Just the computer." Kreyin turned his head dazedly to the empty screen of the television, as if just realizing what he'd done. "I deleted everything. All my files are gone."

"You - you - what?"

"I -"

"No, Janus, I heard you." Scott turned toward the kitchen, face drained. "But it's for the best. You remember everything, though?"

"Everything."

"You're in twice the danger now, you know." His tone was not reprimanding or angry, only calmly stating fact. "They don't have the computer anymore, so they'll be after you."

"They don't know I'm alive."

Trene shrugged, and Kreyin looked up. "Do they?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Scott replied. "But Holcomb never says anything to me."

The two scientists remain where they were in silence, each unwilling to move, each unwilling to meet the other's gaze. Scott thought of his wife, of the danger he'd knowingly put her in. Kreyin's mind wandered over forty years of memory. Anna, Flurry, Tourian, the Third Discovery, the time machine. He refused to think of it as Zephyr.

"Scott, I can't stay here."

"Huh?" Scott, startled from his thoughts, turned around. "What do you mean?"

"I have to go. I'm endangering you. And your wife. And everything else that means anything to you."

"But you'll -"

"No. I can - I can build myself a bodyguard. I'll be fine."

"NO!" Scott shouted. "Not after putting me through all this trouble!" The man cleared his throat. "I think Lynn will agree. I will not abandon a friend. Especially a friend in danger." He put a hand to his forehead. "If you're leaving, I'm leaving with you. Lynn can hold the fort while I'm gone."

Kreyin shook his head, remembering that Trene had several years of military service behind him - all before the military had disappeared and was replaced by the Company. Yes, Lynn would be used to her husband's absence, but she wouldn't like it. Not after all that time, and with the greater chance that her husband would never return.

"I will not break up a family," he said stubbornly. "I know what it's like to have one broken, and I refuse to be the cause."

"Lynn and I have already discussed it."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying. She noticed how restless you were getting. We both knew it was only a matter of time."

Kreyin stared at him for a long moment, bitter thoughts roiling around in his head. Time. Time destroyed you, Janus. Time destroys all things. Slowly, angrily, he nodded his assent. "If you must, I can't stop you."

Scott immediately grinned at him, saying, "Just like old times, Janus -"

"But! Know that you do this with my deepest and sincerest objection." Kreyin paused for a long moment, tears filling his eyes. "And thanks."


	43. The Big Borrow

That night, Kreyin lay awake, thinking of the deception he planned for his friend. Shame overwhelmed him for a moment, thinking of all the support and dedication Scott and Lynn had given him. Old friend, I'm better off alone. It's easier if you don't know what I'm doing.

All his plans centered around the Company and their main base here in this city. The city, once a major population center, was a shadow of its former glory, for here was where the Third Discovery had broken loose in all its horror. Here was where the first of the robots had gone insane. Here is where the factory was, and is still today, unless I miss my guess, Kreyin thought grimly. The Company rarely disposed of anything entirely, and the robots, though a great danger even to them, could serve a boon in times of 'emergency.' In a time where the Company would need to solidify its already strangling grip on the world.

With a force like that, they could kill us all. Kreyin opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, seeing nothing. I have to stop them. I know that now.

But Kreyin had more immediate concerns - such as his safety and the safety of his friend. Scott was to report to the Company as usual the following morning, and Lynn was to report to work. Kreyin would stay at their home, preparing his minimal belongings for what he was sure would be a long, hard journey. Where, he did not know. Scott had a place in mind, but Kreyin was certain he could make his own way.

His plans weren't crystal clear on how he was to proceed the following day, but he knew he had to make his way to the Company's headquarters, or at least to the factory. The factory. Not the main building. Going inside that monster will do me no good.

Eventually, his mind drifted away from his plans, and he made his way slowly to sleep. Memories lingered on in his mind even after that, tormenting his dreams so that he got no rest.

\--

Scott waved a grave farewell the following morning from his car, leaving Lynn to take care of Kreyin for the few hours she had before she had to leave for work as well. After the scattered week, working odd hours and looking after Janus' health, she was pleased to be back on her usual schedule, even if it meant her husband was leaving.

Kreyin puttered around for most of the morning, pretending to pack and get things in order according to the plan they'd all hatched. Lynn watched him with an unsuspecting eye, finally leaving three hours later.

As she left, Kreyin stopped what he was doing and watched the door close behind her, eyes sad. He pushed his bags into the corner of the room, listening to the car leave the drive. He only had two. A duffel bag and a case containing several data disks and musical CD's. Perhaps I can return another time, he mused, leaving them there.

Within moments, he was out the door on Scott's bike, pedaling steadily for the factory. The dim quiet of a grey afternoon hung over him, tinging his thoughts with sorrow. He could find no justification for what he was doing, and his thoughts were clouded with uncertainty.

He had no real plan of action; simply get in, get the needed supplies, and get out again. But it would not be that simple. If the factory was in the same shape the Third Discovery massacre had left it in, wandering around would be highly dangerous. And there were undoubtedly sentries. Diane left nothing, even the most decrepit and useless piece of machinery, unguarded. He wondered if she'd bothered to post anyone at the service entrance. It seemed unlikely, but if she had, he was going to be hard pressed to find a way in.

Kreyin braked the bike, gazing ahead of him in silence.

There loomed the factory, in all its twisted, broken glory. Fire-scorched walls stood stark and barren, pock-marked with blacked-out, shattered windows. An occasional tinkle of glass paid homage to the building's decay, and bricks crumbled almost before his very eyes. The site was in a sorry state.

Only the ground floor showed any sign of life; lights glimmered in the front lobby and florescence showed through the windows from the hall.

Kreyin dragged the bike over to some scraggly shrubs and leaned it there, preparing himself to enter the building.

The entrance he was thinking of lay somewhere on the other side of the building, which meant he would have to risk being seen. He approached the building calmly, carefully, skirting the fence until worked his way around to the back. Seeing no one, he darted across to the service door and turned the handle. The door shrieked in protest as he pushed inwards, a sure sign that no one had been through it. The noise, however, might attract some attention, so he made his way away from there as quickly as he could.

He jogged down the passageway, still a touch nervy over the conspicuous absence of guards. After a moment, he stopped to take stock of his situation. No one's seen me yet. I need to find the production lines. Weren't they toward the center?

He darted down a crossing hallway, tracing over what he remembered of the factory. Blindly following his own memory, he made his way deeper into the complex, finally stopping at a set of double doors that towered nearly to the ceiling. This must be the place, he remarked drily to himself. Diane had always had a flair for the - er - dramatic?

These doors were better oiled than the first one, but not by very much. The whined miserably as Kreyin slipped in, and he hoped against hope that no one had heard. He consoled himself with the thought that the sentries were probably playing cards or eating, like the lax security of the movies.

When he had managed to stop worrying about the guards, he looked around the room, shaking his head unbelievingly. The assembly line process of their creation of robots had been stopped immediately when word of the violent attacks spread. Torsos, arms, legs - all lay half-finished on the floor, on the conveyor belts, or even on shelves where frantic workers had thrown them. Several lay in such disrepair that Kreyin decided they had been intentionally destroyed, torn apart by vengeful and fearful employees.

Gah - where will I find something in this mess?

He stalked about the room, taking care not to make any noise, picking up an arm here, a leg there. He placed any suitable parts he found in a pile, muttering furiously, until he caught sight of a darkened room at the far side of the assembly line. He tilted his head curiously and made for it, a wondering expression on his face.

Kreyin didn't turned the light on as he stepped in, nearly stumbling over something in the dark. "What the devil?" he muttered aloud, fumbling for a switch. The lights flickered on, pale and unassuming, but Kreyin could only stare at the boon that lay silent at his feet.

Two robots - half-completed and non-functioning - but more complete than anything that lay in the assembly room. They lay side by side and on their backs, Kreyin assumed. He knelt down, running a hand over the wiring and framework. Someone had been working on these, and just recently. Little dust had gathered over the remains, and they were in better shape than the panicking workers would have left them in.

"Who could have -" He cut off sharply, hearing a sound behind him.

Someone was entering the room. Kreyin switched the light off hurriedly, not caring how much good it would do, and felt around for something he could use as a weapon. Finding nothing, his hands formed fists. Whoever you are, you won't take Janus Kreyin without a fight!

The steps grew closer, sounding hesitant and nervous in the empty echo of the room. Kreyin paled as he realized that they were headed straight to him. It's only one. I can take him.

The form of a man was outlined in the doorway even as he thought it, and a hand reached out for the light switch. Kreyin's heart pounded, and he tried not to think of dying, of failure in the one mission he had left. Even as the lights flickered, he readied himself to charge at the shadowy figure, and as full light sprang on him, he leaped forward.

"What?!" the figure yelped, darting back.

Kreyin had no way to stop his forward momentum, and it carried him until he nearly bowled the other man over, finally stumbling to a halt a few feet away.

"Scott!" he cried. "I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to -"

"Janus, what are you doing here?" The man was clearly more shocked by the fact that it had been his friend hiding in the storage area than anything else.

Kreyin shook his head. "I came to find a robot." He grinned mirthlessly. "I found two. What possessed you, Scott?"

The other scientist hung his head dolefully. "I don't know. I - I thought that maybe if I could -" He stopped. "No. I should have known better." He looked at his friend sharply. "But you - why did you do this? I thought -"

"I deceived you, Scott," the man said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I cannot simply go into hiding and leave this Company to - to -"

"They've already taken the world, Janus," Scott said gravely. "They could snuff you out like a candle."

Kreyin's eyes suddenly flashed defiance. "They may have taken the world," he said, voice rising deep and strong, "but they haven't taken me! I can't allow them to win! As long as someone is still free - defiant - they haven't won."

Scott Trene displayed no sign of how deeply he was moved by Kreyin's impassioned statement. Maybe - if we work together - If he has the will to defy the Company, then so have I! He lifted his hand, stretching it out to Kreyin. "Then we work together."

"I knew you would understand." Kreyin nodded grudgingly as he spoke. "And perhaps you're right about the need for teamwork." He smiled, taking his friend's hand.

They shook hands in grave agreement, cementing their partnership.

A moment later, a crashing sound drew their attention.

"Scott Trene!" screamed a familiar voice.

"Mrs. Holcomb," Scott hissed, "Get in there - fast!"

Kreyin darted for the storage room, turning the light off again. He wondered momentarily how the woman knew where his friend was, but the ensuing confrontation left him with little doubt.

"So this is where you've been hiding," she hissed, entering the room as the doors swung closed with a screech and a clang.

"Hiding?" Scott mastered his shaking voice in an attempt to sound perfectly innocent.

"Scott, we know everything you do - why bother with this little charade?" Diane tossed her head, throwing her hair back. "I had wondered where you spent your afternoon time, until I ran a tracer on your truck."

Scott backed away from her, silently wary. "Why does it matter where I go - as long as I get my assignments -"

"Oh, shut up when I'm talking to you!" she snapped. She folded her arms, smiling acidly. "Why come here, Scott? Why? Do you think I forgot where you were assigned after Janus' pathetically miscalculated discovery?" Her voice was rising to a shriek. "You're building something here, Scott!"

"You're mistaken," Dr. Trene said flatly.

"What is it? Where are you hiding it?" She paced around the room, eyes darting everywhere. She gave a robotic arm a liberal kick, sending it flying through a window.

The scientist barely maintained his dignity as he responded. "Where am I hiding what, ma'am?"

"Don't you MA'AM me!" She cleared her throat. "You couldn't be stupid enough to try building more robots, could you Scott?" A smile twisted her lips. "Is this some attempt to kill me? Some moronic attempt to end my life?" She laughed, sounding hysterical in her anger. "Well, I've got news for you -"

"Mrs. Holcomb," Scott overrode her, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I came here to see if there were any parts I could salvage for the arm we're working on for the handicapped. If you would please let me -"

"SHUT UP!"

Kreyin sank down in his hiding place, trying to find a way to end their discussion. He nearly burst out laughing when a solution dawned on him.

Diane Holcomb stood grimly. Her eyes were getting a frantic look. "You're trying to kill me - but it won't work. I've got more -"

The sound of crunching metal silenced her. Scott risked a glance into the storage room, wondering what Janus could possibly be up to. Diane backed away.

"What is that?" she snarled. "Is that your robot - come to kill me?" She laughed scornfully. "I -"

The sound was repeated. Diane started to tremble, on the verge of bolting for the door. The noise echoed through the room a final time, and the Company's top exec scrambled frantically for an exit, screaming terrified profanity and curses down on Scott Trene's head. The scientist himself watched the storeroom until Janus walked out, looking self-satisfied.

"Well," he said slowly. "Let's get them to the truck, shall we?"

\--

It took two, grueling trips to move the hulks of metal to the back of the truck, plus several more for supplies they would need to complete the robots. Upon completing the ordeal, the men sank against it, gasping for breath.

"I'm getting - too old for this," laughed Kreyin, getting up to pull a tarp over the half-completed robots.

Scott grinned at him. "Yes. Definitely." He nodded toward the main building, where the Company housed most of its business. "She won't be frightened off forever, Janus. We need to move."

Kreyin nodded. "You drive. I wouldn't know where to go."

"I had a place in mind," Scott said quietly as they got into the truck. "Out in the woods somewhere." He started the engine, and the two men strapped in. "I lived there once, when I was a little boy."

He started the truck moving at a leisurely pace.

"It was a nice little house," he remarked. "And easily defended, with the proper equipment." He smiled gravely. "With a little effort, it could become a first-class laboratory."

Kreyin nodded. "Then that," he announced, "is what it will become."


	44. Maelstrom and Turbulence

Kreyin gazed silently at the smallish building Scott had parked next to, wondering incredulously what he was supposed to do with it. His friend, catching his expression, smiled deprecatingly.

"I know it's not much -"

Kreyin forced a smile, waving his hand to silence the man. "It will do, Scott."

Scott nodded numbly, beginning to wish he'd never gotten involved. "Let's unload the truck."

He backed the truck up to the garage, and they proceeded to unload. Straining with the effort, they dragged the two unfinished robots down a set of stairs in the garage. "It's a basement," Scott explained as they dropped the second one off and were headed out again. "It'll make a good place to work - and it'll be easy to protect, I figure."

Kreyin was nodding in agreement when they reached the truck again. He reached in to pull yet more of the equipment they'd swiped, when he saw his friend. Scott was standing silently, a dazed expression on his face. "What is it, Scott?"

"I - nothing." He shook his head, offering a pale smile. "I suppose I just need to get used to this."

Kreyin nodded grimly. "It isn't so bad - after the first few months."

Scott took an armful of equipment, nearly dropping a set of wires on the ground. "We'll have time enough, I suppose."

Bit by bit, the lab began to take shape under the watchful eyes of Janus Kreyin and Scott Trene. They were at a loss for a food supply until it occurred to Scott that his wife would make a trip out there without arousing too much suspicion, at least the first time. With the hunger question settled, they set about putting together an actual research station. Kreyin volunteered the computer at his old lab, which he was certain he could get working again, even after what he'd done to it. It would take a bit of doing, but he was confident. Lynn insisted on making the trip herself when they contacted her, and she took it with the utmost care, hiring a forklift to drag it out to her car. Kreyin winced when she told him, but the computer had taken no damage. Time was all it took for the equipment Scott had at his house to move to the lab out in the woods.

With the limited supplies of their hastily constructed lab, it took them a number of weeks to finished their robots, and with each passing day it became clearer to Kreyin that his beloved creations, Tourian and Flurry, were lost forever.

"It's been over a month, Scott," he said softly. "They aren't coming back this time."

"Don't talk like that, Janus," Scott retorted, pulling the chest-plate of their first robot's armor up over his torso. "They'll come back. I don't even know the story behind their first disappearance, and they came back that time, didn't they?"

"I don't know," Janus replied, distressed, tossing his friend the screwdriver he gestured for. "The first time - they stole Zephyr -"

"That crazy machine?"

"Yes - and I know they had some purpose in mind, but I don't know what." He shook his head. "They traveled through time - for something - and they were back five minutes later."

Scott grinned thoughtfully, working away at piecing the armor together. "Maybe they went back in time for those other two," he suggested, looking up.

"Other two - oh."

"X and Zero. Yeah, that was what they were called." He smiled uncomfortably. "There was something weird about them."

Kreyin shrugged, head wagging again. Those names. So familiar - He dropped what he was holding with a gasp. "What have they done!?"

Scott jumped away from him, startled. "What have who done?"

Kreyin raised his hands before his eyes, desperation filling his gaze. He ran his fingers through his hair, staring dazedly at his friend. "They - they - those two - oh, GOD!"

"What about those two?" Scott asked carefully, taking a hesitant step forward.

"They - one of them - is the one - Tourian! Oh, Tourian - it must have been such a shock -!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tourian's - designs!" He sank to his knees in horror. "I based them on -"

"On what, Janus! Get a hold of yourself!"

"I am, I am." He got to his feet again. "Those two weren't just any robots, Scott. Do you realize -? They were the greatest robotic heroes of their time!" He turned away again, moaning. "What have they done?"

Scott turned back to the robot he was working on, shaken. Had Flurry and Tourian somehow been responsible for the terrible position the world was in? Surely not. It's unthinkable! He let Kreyin simmer in his despair for another fifteen minutes, but when it became apparent that the man would not snap out of it on his own, he spoke up.

"Now, Doctor Kreyin," he said calmly. "I need you to get to work and help me here. If your robots destroyed the world, there's nothing we can do about it - and you know better than to think they did that."

"Not on purpose, Scott," he replied flatly. "Flurry and Tourian would never do something like that on purpose."

Scott did not reply for a time. "That's not our concern," he said finally, coldly. "For now, all we have to do is get these two operational."

Kreyin made no sound of agreement or disagreement, but he did return to work.

\--

Yet another week passed with no sign of Flurry, Tourian, and their two companions. The two scientists were putting the finishing touches on their robots, when Kreyin leaned back suddenly. Scott glanced at him.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking, Scott - how the devil are we going to activate these two?"

"What do you -"

"Energy, Scott," Kreyin said, tapping a finger to his temple. "They run on energy - and we don't have an energy supply large enough to bring them up to full power." He stretched, working the kinks out of his back, and yawned. "After that, of course, they wouldn't need anything unless there was some emergency, but now -"

Scott frowned, lost in thought. "I can't see a solution, Janus. Unless we went back to the Company -"

"No! That would be utter stupidity."

I know, I know."

The two were silent for a time.

"What other options are there?" Janus asked finally.

"I see none."

"Lovely. I wonder if Mrs. Holcomb has our wanted posters up yet."

"Do you think she's crawled out from under her desk yet?"

They chuckled.

"Seriously," Scott said. "What should we do?"

\--

The following day dawned cold, rainy, and miserable. Sheets of water drenched the two men as they struggled to get their cargo to the back of the pickup. Each of the robots was wrapped in a tarp, and they tied yet another over the cargo bed once the two were loaded. They had come to the conclusion that returning to the Company was out of the question, so Janus had suggested his old lab. The power generator there was limited at best, but it would get the robots up and running without attracting too much attention.

They splashed around to their respective seats, and Kreyin heaved a deep sigh as he settled in, leaning his head back. "Today is the day, Scott," he announced. "These are the first robots I've ever created for any other purpose than peace." He smiled wanly. "That sounds pathetically idealistic, I know, but -"

"I understand how you feel, Janus. But these two are our only means of destroying the Company and all it stands for."

Kreyin shook his head. "I wonder if they will understand that."

"The robots? Of course they - will," Scott said hesitantly, "It's in the programming, isn't it?"

Kreyin nodded. "But remember - they have their own will."

Scott frowned, turning the key in the ignition. "That's such a dangerous thing," he murmured. "We've essentially created another race of humans - with power enough to destroy us all."

"Which is why we must teach them," Kreyin said, gazing out at the rain. "They must be our children as much as our own flesh and blood." That's why the assembly line was such a dismal failure.

They drove on in the rain.

\--

An hour or two later, after backtracking around paths made impassable they the torrential downpour, they reached the lab. The crumbling building stood stark and desolate, greyed out by the rain.

"Still no guards," Kreyin remarked. Of course, with the computer gone, what need would she have of them?

"Huh. I don't trust it."

"Back up to that building there," Kreyin ordered, pointing. "It's where I kept just about everything."

Scott complied readily, a guarded expression on his face.

As the truck pulled to a halt, Kreyin jumped out and ran to the back, flinging the tarp up and waiting for Scott to join him. The man did, still watching the shadows, and they took the robots inside. Kreyin started at the decay of his old home. He was amazed at how far downhill it had gone in only a month. He gestured quickly to the room across from his former cubicle, and they set the robot down.

The familiarity of the place struck him deeply, and on the way out to the truck, he leaned his head against the wall, eyes tired. Scott smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder.

They brought the next robot in with some effort.

"At least we won't be carrying them after this," Scott remarked as they set him down and started unwrapping them both.

Kreyin nodded in agreement, piling the tarp in a corner and searching for the energy intake on the robots. Upon finding it, he called to Scott, "Have you got the plug?"

"Plug?" he laughed, tossing Kreyin the cord that would connect the robots to the generator. "If that's what you call it."

While the robots charged up, Kreyin took Scott on a whirlwind tour of his former home. He jogged across the hall to the cubicle that had housed his computer, pointing out the hangar area in the back and his rather clever hiding of the machine until it was ready. They stood in the doorway to the hangar, watching the rain pour through the huge rent in the ceiling.

"That must be how they got you out," Scott remarked.

"Must be," Kreyin murmured.

They were silent for a long time, contemplating life in general, and Kreyin shook his head finally. "Let's go check on those two," he said.

"Yes," Scott agreed easily, eyes still locked on the growing puddle in the middle of the floor. Rain dripped down, splashing into the water in an intricate dance long ago perfected by nature. He started when Kreyin turned away from the scene and followed the man back to where the robots lay.

Kreyin knelt down, bones creaking, checking the energy readouts. "They're only a quarter done," he said.

"They're going fast, then," Scott replied. "Let's go get something to eat."

"Hm. I believe the replicator is still working, unless they took it."

"If you think that'd be better than cold sandwiches," Scott answered, turning to go down the hall.

Kreyin chuckled, following him. "It's better than going out in the rain," he answered, closing the door as he left.

\--

An hour passed, maybe more, in the silent room where the robots were charging. As their energy meters rose, they showed signs of stirring, curiously timid efforts at waking into the conscious world.

A diagnostic ran slowly, and one robot's eyes flickered open. He gazed straight ahead, uncertainly realizing that he was lying on his back. He sat up, pulling loose the cord that had been feeding him energy. Reaching up to touch his face, his fingers encountered a faceplate, which he tapped at warily. Looking down, he saw his own burnished, brick-red armor, black highlights gleaming in the artificial light. After taking note of what he looked like, his glance traveled curiously around the room.

Another robot, similar to him, but with blue and white armor and no faceplate as far as he could see, lay nearby, head tilted sideways. As he watched, the robot's mouth dropped open, and a loud snore echoed through the room. His eyes flickered impatiently.

"Hey," he said to his companion. "Hey, wake up. Don't be stupid." The other robot didn't stir for a moment, still making a show at snoring. The first robot glared. "I told you to wake up!"

The robot opened one eye thoughtfully. "What makes you think I'm supposed to follow your orders?" He sat up, looking himself over. He caught his reflection in the armor's shine and grinned. "Handsome devil, aren't I?"

"Self-flattery," the other said scornfully.

"Ha!" he retorted, pointing a finger. "Bet there's a reason you've got a mask in front of your face!"

"Mask? What are you talking about?"

"Geez, man, it's right there - can't see you at all." His blue-armored companion pulled a face. "Du-uh."

"I - can remove it," the other growled.

"Oh, sure. Let's see ya," Blue challenged.

After a moment's concentration, the faceplate, rather than shifting up and away, became transparent, and Blue tilted his head curiously. "You aren't that ugly - why'd you have a -"

A sudden sound drew their attention. Footsteps, approaching fast from down the hall. Without another word to each other, they lay still again, playing possum for whoever was coming. Kreyin entered the lab and gazed at the two in confusion. "I thought I heard voices," he said to Scott.

Scott walked past him, staring down at the red-armored 'bot. "Look, Janus - this one's plug is pulled."

"How on earth -"

"Ya might say," an unfamiliar voice jumped in, "that he did it himself."

The scientists spun, staring at the one in blue. He grinned, waving cheerfully. "Hi! I'm, um - well, I don't know who I am yet."

The red one sat up, glaring in disgust. "You idiot! What if they were the enemy?"

"What enemy, you dim! Obviously, they're our creators! How dumb do you have to be?"

"Calm down, you two," Kreyin said, laughing, "Yes, we are your creators. I am Janus Kreyin, and he is Scott Trene."

"Yo," said the blue with a dry half-salute.

"Greetings," said the other seriously, obviously affronted by his companion's apparent lack of respect.

The two got to their feet, still appraising the scientists nervously.

"So," the blue said curiously. "What are - our names?"

Scott glanced at Kreyin in surprise. "I - don't believe we thought of any." He smiled uncertainly at the two. "You have a dictionary at your disposal. Look something up."

Kreyin shushed him firmly. "There's no need to rush. We have time enough on our hands." Scott shrugged absently in response and went across the hall to check on the state of the rain.

"Well," Kreyin said calmly, "you can think of your names later. For now, we have to go home."

"Home?" Blue asked curiously.

"Where is home?" demanded Red.

"In the - never mind that," Kreyin replied. "We have to go." He turned to the door, calling out, "Scott, is it still raining?" At his lack of response, "Scott?" He walked into the hall, and the robots lost sight of him. They heard a gasp of, "Who?!" And then there was silence.

The two robots looked at each other and nodded. They walked lazily into the hall to find the man who had called himself their creator limp and lifeless on the floor.

"What the -" snarled Blue, and his companion raised a hand sharply, pointing into the lab.

None other than Diane Holcomb stood grim before them, hands clenched into fists, her face a mask of outrage. She was screaming at Kreyin and failed to notice them for a moment. "Janus Kreyin! How dare you be alive? I killed you!"

The pair ran a quick check, and discovered her to be the head of the Company, not to mention a great threat to them and their creators. "After you," Blue said politely, and Red approached, taking the woman by the arm. She stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending.

"Who are you?" she asked dangerously, twisting her wrist in his grip. "You'd better let me go." When he did not respond, she aimed a kick at his crotch. He didn't even flinch, looking at her rather in surprise. "ROBOTS!" the woman screamed, pulling free of his unchallenging hold. Without another word, she bolted for the hangar, where one of her vehicles had bashed a hole through the wall to gain entrance.

Blue immediately bent to inspect Kreyin, and Red turned sharply. "Is he hurt?"

"No - I think he, uh, fainted."

Red frowned thoughtfully, suddenly opaquing his faceplate. "Take him to safety," he ordered. "I will look for the other - and that woman." His voice dripped annoyance as he realized what she had tried to do to him.

"Fine! Hog all the fun," sniffed the other, scooping Kreyin up. Muttering under his breath, he jogged down the hall to what appeared to be an entrance. Kreyin soon woke, jostled as he was by the bumpy ride, and mumbled dazedly. Blue's face brightened, sensing an opportunity.

"Hey," he said. "Can you stand up?"

Kreyin nodded, and the robot set him down on the floor. "The truck - it's out front. Find Scott - I can make it."

"Good!" the robot answered cheerfully. "I've gotta get back to the action!" He turned around and sent a wave over his shoulder. "Bye now!"

Kreyin stared after him for a moment. Dear Lord, what have I created? He made his way to the truck in a daze, seating himself and wondering what had happened.

\--

"YEE-HAAA!"

Red spun sharply, staring in wonder as his companion materialized out of nowhere, bounding over his head. "Hey!" he barked. "I told you -"

"Sorry, bud!" he shouted, "I got orders from a higher authority!"

Red glared. "Fine! I'll -"

"Nah," replied the other. "You can help me!"

In the course of their conversation, a rather large armored vehicle had pulled through a hole in the wall, and the two heard the woman screaming at the top of her lungs. "Get them - show NO MERCY!" A set of door swung open on the vehicle, and out sprang a number of humans with bulletproof vests. Blue looked a little surprised, then shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"I really hate to do this, guys," he called, waving at the humans, "but you know what they say -" He instinctively swung his arms forward, hands morphing into cannons right before everyone's eyes. "- adios, amigos!" A sudden gust of wind that brought to mind the weapon of a more ancient robot slashed through the ranks of humans, knocking them from their feet without harming them much at all. The blue 'bot burst into excited laughter. "We'll be encountering - turbulence! YES!" He threw his head back with a wild howl.

The Red robot shot forward to the machine, throwing a series of debilitating punches and kicks to its left side, then flipping over to the other side and repeating the process. He grinned savagely, roaring out a battle cry. "Maelstrom!" his voice rang out. "That is my name!"

Meanwhile, the newly named Turbulence was inspecting the interior of the machine. "That's real funny," he remarked, tapping curiously at a console. "It doesn't do anything!"

A low chuckle issued from the front of the vehicle - that woman again. "Of course it does, my robotic friend. Sic 'em!" she barked.

To Turbulence's utter surprise, the console shattered, and a diminutive robot burst out, leaping lithely over his head. He spun sharply.

"I'm glad you're such a curious customer," the woman remarked. "Now, little one, if you'd take this outside?"

The robot laughed and darted out into the opened, followed closely by an incensed Turbulence. The woman walked to the back bay door, smirking as she watched the two circle each other warily. Maelstrom stopped where he stood, observing them impatiently.

"Your death will be either slow or swift - depending on how my blades meet their mark," the small 'bot purred. "I suggest you hold still and wait for them - the better to ease your pain!"

"Well," Turb drawled, "that's a kind offer, but I don't go in for death 'n stuff like that. I am, however, gonna give you the butt-kicking of a lifetime."

The robot laughed scornfully. "Try it!" And he leapt forward, sending a multitude of unpleasantly sharp blades in Turb's direction. The blue robot dove, coming up to fire a massive blast of air in the other's direction. The robot dodged it lazily and sent a blade spinning past him. "You missed," Turbulence announced, then yelped in pain as the blade came back around, slicing neatly through the armor on his shoulder. He glanced at the damage, then back at the 'bot, feeling the cut. Pure fury surged through his systems and he jumped forward, catching the robot by the throat and lifting him up.

"I was just activated, you disgusting little piece of SCRAP!" he hissed into the smaller robot's face.

The 'bot trembled from sudden fear, and Turbulence proceeded to toss him into the air, firing off not a shot of air, but a shot of plasma. Bits and pieces of the little beast rained down on everyone for a moment, and Maelstrom shifted. "Are you quite finished?"

"Where's the other scientist-dude?" Turb questioned. He waved his hand in front of Diane Holcomb's eyes, approaching her.

"That one - our latest model -" Her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped to the ground.

"Fat lot of help that was," Turbulence growled. "Maelstrom - I think I can handle things here. You go out and tell Doc I'll be there in a minute." He gestured vaguely to where the vehicle was parked.

Maelstrom restrained a snarl of annoyance and began to walk in the truck's general direction.

"Hey - you don't have to go through the wall," snapped Turbulence. "It's out the front door down the hall - can't miss it."

"Thank you so much for your - impeccable instructions," the red robot said flatly, marching toward the door.

"Yeah. You're welcome."

Muttering about his companion's stolid militarism, the blue 'bot paced boredly in front of Diane's lifeless body. Where on earth could she have put him? She didn't have much time to - He started up, but the noise did not sound again. He glanced around, wondering if she had any other robots up her sleeve. Returning to his thoughts, the muffled thud-thud and muted howl came again. "Hey! Could you say that again?" he called.

The noise grew frustrated, even annoyed.

"Er - coming!"

Turbulence darted into the armored carrier, stepping carefully over Diane. "Pardon me, good-looking," he remarked to her, "but I have someone else to take care of."

In a blackened corner of the vehicle, Scott Trene was tied up, a piece of duct tape neatly over his mouth. Turb couldn't stop a grin, reaching over and ripping it off in one motion. Scott howled.

"Let me out of this mess," he insisted immediately following the noise.

Turbulence heard a groan from behind him and came to the conclusion that the inestimable Mrs. Holcomb was waking up. "Sorry," he shrugged to the scientist, "no can do."

"I beg your -" Scott was silenced as the tape was slapped over his mouth once again. He glared daggers, and Turb grinned mockingly.

"It's better this way," he laughed, picking the man up and slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Scott made a furious noise. "Sorry, Doc man, you're comin' with me."

With those words said, he jogged out of the vehicle, past a still-dazed and disheveled Diane. She leaned against the carrier doorframe, shaking her fist. "Get - back here!" she screamed angrily.

"Uh, sorry!" Turbulence answered, shaking his head. "That would just defeat the purpose of getting him out, wouldn't it?" He grinned, throwing her a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, gorgeous - we'll meet again!"

Diane, furious more at his mockery than his refusal to comply, shrieked after him, "I'll be waiting, you malconstructed pile of scrap! And next time, I won't be defeated so easily!"

Turb waved good-bye over his shoulder, jogging out the door.

Diane crossed her arms, gaze as cold as the winter wind. "You'll all pay," she bit out. "I'll have my vengeance."


	45. Reckless

Kreyin slumped low in his seat, waiting for the others to make it out of the building. As time passed, his worry grew, and he was about to jump out and go back inside, when the red robot jumped into the back of the truck, causing it to creak unsteadily. He was in a crouch, hands resting on his knees, a sullenly angry expression on his face. Kreyin spun to face him.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Where are the others?"

The robot growled. "Turbulence is getting Dr. Trene," he muttered.

"Turbulence? Who the devil -?"

"Turbulence is the name he chose," the robot answered flatly.

"Ah. What's yours?"

"Maelstrom."

"Good," Kreyin said, pleased. "Good. Then you've completed -"

"Doctor, why is he so annoying?" Maelstrom broke in.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Turbulence - he's insubordinate, reckless -" Here Maelstrom stopped, for none other than Turbulence was approaching, whistling a cheerful tune as he unloaded Scott Trene. He untied the scientist and helped him to his feet, lastly tearing the duct tape from his mouth again. Scott glared at him and made his way to the front of the truck. Turbulence hopped in beside Maelstrom, and the truck groaned metallically in pain.

"Be careful, you two," Kreyin said firmly as Scott started the engine. "Lie low and spread your weight out so we don't end up losing half the truck."

The two complied without a word, and not a sound was heard other than the roaring of the truck as they rode away. For approximately fifteen minutes of the two-hour ride, Maelstrom and Turbulence decided to ignore each other, but that plan fell apart when Turbulence shifted, rocking the truck a bit.

"Hold still," Maelstrom growled.

"Hey, I was uncomfortable," Turb retorted, glancing up to see if the scientists had done anything.

"So? You were told to hold still."

"By who? You?"

"And by Dr. Kreyin."

They hadn't looked at each other since the trip started, but Turbulence turned his head to glare at his companion. "Kreyin just told us to lie low," he snarled. "I didn't hear any orders not to move." He paused, taking a breath. "And who died and made you God, anyway?"

Maelstrom turned his head, faceplate fading into transparency. "I," he said coldly, "happen to be the more responsible of us two." He caught Turb's suddenly dangerous expression and stopped.

"Are you trying to say you're better than me?" Turbulence demanded, tensing to jump into fighting position.

"I intended no insult," Maelstrom answered slowly, as if wondering whether what he said was true, "I merely stated fact. You behaved like a total fool out there."

Turbulence snarled. "Why you -"

"You endangered Dr. Kreyin's life," the red robot continued, ignoring him, "Dr. Trene's life, and you nearly scrapped the entire mission."

The blue robot sank back, smiling acidly. "What mission, Maelstrom, and how exactly did I 'nearly scrap' it?"

"Our mission was to get the scientists out alive - and you had to stop and fight -"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Turb's voice rose angrily. "That wasn't any mission! That was just doin' what we were supposed to do anyway! And I think I did just fine, thank you."

"You would."

Turbulence's patience was suddenly in very short supply, and his temper snapped. "Listen, bud," he snapped, "I don't have to take this from you, and I ain't going to, either!"

"And just what are you going to do about it?"

Turbulence got to his feet, rocking unsteadily. "Whatever I feel like - how about you?"

Kreyin turned when the noise reached his ears. "Turbulence! Get down, you fool!"

The robot ignored him, still threatening Maelstrom. The red robot jumped up as well, and the truck swerved violently. Kreyin slapped his friend's arm sharply. "Stop the truck, Scott!"

The truck screeched to a halt, but not before the two robots were at each other, punching and kicking, but never firing a shot. Snarls rang out from either side, and the two were in the air, leaping at each other with fists raised. Then Turbulence was on the ground, getting firmly pounded. He tried to break loose, catching Maelstrom's fists in his hands and pushing him away.

"Stop it, both of you!" roared Kreyin, walking over two them.

"You're acting like children!" snapped Scott.

The two robots continued to ignore them until Kreyin raised his foot and kicked Maelstrom in the side. The robot, not expecting this, flinched away, and Turbulence jumped to his feet, ready to attack. Kreyin sprang in front of him, holding his arms out to either side. "Listen to me, you idiot!"

Turb blinked for a moment and lowered his fists.

Scott took a step forward, eyes angry. "You know, if you're going to act this way, I can think of only one appropriate course of action."

\--

Turbulence slumped down a little, sullen and even a bit petulant. Kreyin sat next to him, eyes closed, enjoying the breeze from the back of the pickup. Maelstrom sat in the front, arms crossed, staring out the window. Scott hummed thoughtfully to himself, slapping his hands against the steering wheel in time to the tune.

"You know," Kreyin commented to his silent companion, "this is your own fault. If you'd simply kept your mouth shut, the fight never would have escalated."

Turbulence didn't answer for a moment. "Well, he didn't have any right," he proclaimed peevishly.

"Perhaps not," Kreyin answered, "but you need to learn to control your impulses. You could get in serious trouble for not stopping to think."

"I think," Turbulence retorted.

Kreyin smiled. "Ah, but that's only the first step. Second, you must apply that thinking to your actions and thereby control your temper."

Turbulence didn't have anything to say to that, and he was still for much of the rest of the trip.

Inside the truck, Scott finally spoke to Maelstrom. "Well, you seem to be a touch on the quiet side."

Maelstrom grunted. "I don't talk unless I have something to say."

"Then say something about this. You really had no right to do that to Turbulence."

Maelstrom muttered something under his breath. "He can't take care of himself," he said finally. "He's an irresponsible, uncontrolled -"

Scott raised a reprimanding hand. "You haven't given him much of a chance to prove himself, Maelstrom."

The robot fell silent, and Scott waited patiently. With struggled evident in his voice, Maelstrom finally said, "Then - I will give him - that chance."

Moments later, the truck pulled into the lab's driveway, and the scientists unloaded their creations, content that they had staved off a potential disaster.


	46. Vengeance

Diane Holcomb paced in her office overlooking the old factory next door to the Company's headquarters. The irony of that day's events was not lost on her. The two scientists she least expected to build one of those killer robots had gone and done it, making ashes out of her less advanced creation. Duped. Her fist clenched momentarily, and she continued walking. Back and forth. Her step was measured and calm, betraying no sign of her rage, her fury at the continual defiance of - Janus Kreyin! Back from the dead! I'll just have to kill you again. Only her eyes, flinty and dark with the gut-deep hatred she felt, showed any trace of emotion.

My robot! And just completed. She paused, gazing out the window at her defunct factory. She had indeed kept it for a reason. What an occasion to bring you back into use. Her eyes narrowed. Ye-e-es.

A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought. She spun sharply. "What is it?"

The door creaked open timidly. "Mrs. Holcomb, we have a preliminary report on the - machine."

Her mood lifted slightly, and she gave the messenger a small, cool smile. "Give it to me."

The smile tightened imperceptibly at the sight of the man's frightened, trapped expression. Apparently, he was bearing bad news. The thought was confirmed as she scanned the report. She fought to keep a snarl from her face as she dismissed him, turning in a clipped, military fashion. He made no pretense at a dignified exit, instead scrambling for the door with wild look in his eyes.

No progress. None at all. The machine was nearly complete, and all it was at this point was a big, fancy car with no wheels. All information on the time warp systems was nonexistent.

All of it under lockout!

The report crumpled in her suddenly clenched fists, and she dropped it on the floor, cursing Janus Kreyin and all his fool ideas. She stalked to her communications console, a sudden, new purpose in her step. Punching up the division head's office, she reflected for a moment on the wisdom of her actions. The thought passed quickly. The man's face appeared on the screen, expression at once respectful and curious.

"Randall Scott," she said coldly.

"Yes, ma'am - if this is about the report, I can tell you -"

"Be quiet."

He was immediately silenced, and she continued, voice growing more and more icy. "You've made no progress."

"Ma'am, we're still trying to figure out -"

"Never mind," she cut him off harshly. "I have a new assignment for you. Your failure to reconstruct the missing components of the time machine leads me to believe that only finding Dr. Kreyin and -" she paused, trying to think of a good word, "- extracting the information we need will give us any success."

The man winced at her wording, proceeding to let loose with a storm of objections.

"Be quiet!" she said, raising her voice. When he stopped, she adjusted her tone with a cold smile. "You and your team are to go out to the old factory and use any salvageable parts you find to reconstruct a robot. I will work closely with you on this project."

He stammered for a moment, unable to think of anything to say.

"You will begin immediately, Randall." With those words, she signed off and walked back over to her window.

"Janus Kreyin," she said slowly. "Scott Trene." She smiled wolfishly. "You've made your last mistake. No one defies me." Her eyes grew dark. "No one."

\--

A hush fell over the crew working on the machine as their director walked into the room, step unsteady and face unusually drained. A young woman looked up from her computer terminal and rose, gazing at him curiously. "What is it, sir?" she asked, the only one who really had the courage to speak. Everyone else was trying not to choke on their fear.

"We -" He wiped a handkerchief across his forehead nervously. "We have a new assignment. We're to build a - a -"

"A what?" the girl demanded, voice faltering.

"Robot," he said, barely audible, to the others.

Another woman carrying tools to someone else working inside the machine stopped, trembling. Her tools clattered against the floor as they fell from her grasp, bouncing and skidding over the tiles. The girl who had spoken first walked over to her and started to pick them up. The woman didn't seem to notice her. "You don't mean - not - please," she pleaded at his somber expression. "She can't want another one of those!"

He nodded quickly, face downcast.

"But Randy," another spoke up, "after the disaster -"

"I don't know why!" he shouted. "All I know is that we're under orders to build one. And," here he took a deep breath "Mrs. Holcomb will be overseeing this project personally."

"What?" yet another woman jumped out of the machine, wrench in hand. She waved it about with wild abandon. "Is she nuts? How could she possibly build another of those killers - after all this!"

"I don't imagine it'll be a very public project, Jana," murmured the first girl.

"I don't care if it is, Elizabeth!" She threw the wrench to the floor in a fit. "I won't do it! I won't be a party to -"

"Quiet, Jana!" pleaded the woman carrying tools. "She'll hear. . . ."

Jana slumped against the machine, resting her face on her arm. Her dark red hair drifted over her face. "I know. I know."

"We'd, uh, better get to work," Randy said lamely.

"Hey, Sara!" the tool-carrier called, "I'll take Jana with me to salvage parts if you'll help Elizabeth get the schematics on the robots."

"Sure, Sarah. No prob."

Randy nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit, people," he said encouragingly. "We'll have this done in no time."

Sara turned from her computer console, a wry expression on her face. "And just what are you going to do, Randy?"

He grinned. "I'll do what I do best. Administrate." With that, he returned to his office.

The woman gave a collective sigh and went to work. Sarah of the tools tugged Jana's arm, and they set off for the factory. Elizabeth glanced expectantly at the other Sara, who rose and stretched, sauntering over with a decidedly skeptical look on her face.

"Let's see what we can dig up on those crazy 'bots she wants." Her eyes met Elizabeth's for a moment, and weariness filled them. "I wonder if we'll get out of this one alive."

\--

For a grueling three weeks, the development team worked to complete the robot Diane had ordered. True to her word, she stayed on task with them twenty-four hours a day, tweaking the design they came up with, editing the programs they wrote, even taking a tool in hand to help in its actual, physical construction. Every once in a while, Sara and Sarah would exchange a nervously skeptical glance, and Jana glared fiercely every time the woman wasn't looking. Elizabeth passed among them with little sign of emotion, other than the glassy look that came from trying to ignore the situation. Randy remained locked away in his office having as little to do with it as possible.

Then, the day arrived.

Diane stepped back from where the completed robot lay, charging, and faced the crew that had so loyally toiled with her. "Leave," she said sternly. "I won't have you interfering when he wakes up." As they turned to go, the picture of obedience, she snapped, "And get your lazy director out of here as well. I don't want him around, either."

Elizabeth called Randy, and all were gone in a matter of minutes.

Diane turned to her creation, smiling. I've waited long enough for this. It had better be worth it.

Time passed, an hour maybe, and the robot showed no sign of waking. Holcomb had long since seated herself, glaring daggers at the metallic being's still form. After a moment, she got to her feet and stepped over to it.

"Wake up, you fool!" she screamed wrathfully.

The eyes flickered for the briefest moment, and Diane took a step back, startled. The robot sat up, a faint smile, almost a sneer, visible on his face. "Well, well," he said, seeing his creator. "You must be the one giving orders around here."

Regaining what confidence she had lost, Diane tossed her head. "I am."

"Then -" He jumped from the table, snapping to attention but not bothering to salute. "Your orders are mine to take."

She smiled. "Yes. Yes, they are. You, my friend, are to be my instrument of revenge against those who have - wronged - me. My enemies are yours, and you will be instructed on how to deal with them later."

He nodded easily, already liking the sound of his job. "When will I receive my first assignment?"

"When you have sufficient training to deal with the threat they pose. Do not underestimate them. I would not have you fail," she purred, "my Vengeance."


	47. Action and Reaction

The house where Scott Trene and Janus Kreyin had set up their new lab was quiet. Intensely quiet. Only the tapping of the keyboard signaled any sign of life. Janus was working busily away at upping the defenses around the house. Occasionally, his eyes flickered to the other three inhabitants, but for the most part he ignored them, concentrating on the air gun layout.

Scott Trene was glaring furiously at the two robots, both of whom were studiously ignoring each other. Turbulence had a slightly petulant expression on his face, and Maelstrom was hidden behind his faceplate. They had been in yet another argument, one that nearly escalated into a fistfight, and Scott was running out of things to do to keep them away from each other. Kreyin finally looked up at them all and smiled easily.

"Do you suppose, Scott," he said drily, "that they're getting restless? Perhaps a mission of some sort would do them good."

Scott grinned mirthlessly. "It would do me good," he remarked. "If we get them out of the house, I can't kill them."

Maelstrom muttered something unintelligible, but Turbulence looked up with a bright, "Yeah!" He jumped to his feet, reeking of enthusiasm. "What is there for us to do?"

"Well," Kreyin said, measuring his words carefully, "there's always the matter of food." He turned to Scott. "We can't have Lynn risking her life to feed us forever, you know. She could be caught anytime - or lead them right to us."

Scott looked doubtful. "They're a little inexperienced," he mentioned worriedly.

"What better way for them to learn?" Kreyin countered.

"I -" Scott still bore an uncertain look on his face.

Turb's eyes darted back and forth between the two, shining with eagerness. "Come on!" he begged. "Let us go! We won't screw up or anything!"

Scott laughed wearily and nodded. "All right. I suppose." He glanced at Kreyin. "I have credit at a store on Purdue. Just mention my name and you'll do fine. Access your maps of the city."

Kreyin spoke up. "I want you back within two hours." His eyes grew hard. "Keep a low profile - I don't -" He stopped. "Just be careful."

"Yahooo!" Turbulence proceeded to jump around the room, shouting and otherwise expressing his pleasure at the new assignment.

Maelstrom turned a long-suffering look on his creators, who were watching the blue-and-white robot, bemused. At their lack of response, he cleared his throat, muttering aloud. "What is it we're supposed to - purchase?"

Turbulence turned to him with a dry look on his face, cutting his capers short. "Food, dummy."

"I was aware of that," the robot snarled in response. "What kind of food?"

Scott intervened before it could get any further. "We'll make up a list, of course. Don't worry." He went for paper and pen, exchanging a wry look with Kreyin as he walked past.

Kreyin spoke up easily after he was gone. "I suggest that one of you do the shopping and one of you keep an eye on the entrance to the store - and the money. And perhaps you should take two separate routes there. Just to muddle the trails."

Turbulence immediately said, "I'll do the shopping - Maelstrom can guard the entrance."

"NO!" Maelstrom snapped.

"And just why not?" Turb retorted, face flushing slightly, "I'm just as capable -"

Maelstrom cut him off sharply. "I'll make this simple for you. You - are - an - idiot."

"WHAT? What izzat supposed to mean?" Turbulence threw his arms up in annoyance. "You're still griping me about that?"

The robot got up steadily, prepared to argue. "You -"

"Look, bud," Turbulence hissed, "I am NOT under your command, and I don't feel the need to obey your every whim - that doesn't make me reckless, or insubordinate, or an IDIOT!"

"It does when you endanger the lives of those we're sworn to protect!"

"Wha - what are you talking about? You need to get your facts straight - I'm the one who saved the both of them!" Turb was now shouting in his face, and the other robot responded in kind.

"You took your sweet time about it!"

"Only when I knew there wasn't any danger!"

"NO DANGER? Smack in the middle of an enemy ship isn't in any danger?"

"She was out cold."

"She doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"Yeah? She was the only danger I saw around there." Turb's voice had returned to its normal volume, and his way-too-cool-for-you attitude was back in spades.

"Shut up," Kreyin said coldly.

"Huh?" they said simultaneously.

"Shut up," the man repeated, eyes angry. "I have never seen anything so childish - so infantile. Turbulence can do the shopping, Maelstrom can keep an eye out, and you will both drop the issue of your first mission immediately."

The two looked momentarily uncomfortable. Kreyin's gaze was hard as stone, arms crossed angrily. Even Flurry and Tourian never squabbled like this. NEVER! Turbulence hung his head, glancing uncertainly at his creator's furious face. Maelstrom turned his head away from them both, seeming ashamed of himself. Scott reentered the room at that point, pen and paper in hand, and gave a low sigh at the sight of the situation.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" he demanded, handing Kreyin the writing supplies.

The other scientist shook his head. "They will learn to get along. I don't care if I have to tie their wrists together for a month - they will work as a team."

Dead silence hung over the room as the two humans worked up their list. A month's worth of cheap food was not too difficult to come up with, and they were done in fifteen minutes. They turned to the robots, who were regarding them guardedly, wondering if Kreyin would make good on his threat to chain them together. He glanced at them thoughtfully.

"Errmm," he said, handing Scott the list and stepping toward them, "You might want to change."

"Change?" Turb demanded, glancing over his armor. "Whaddya mean, change? I like me like this."

Maelstrom didn't say anything, resisting the urge to beat the other robot senseless and throw him in a dumpster. He asked the stupidest questions.

"Think for a moment," Scott remarked. "You're going out among humans looking like robots?"

"Uh-huh," the robot answered, lifting his hands in a slightly helpless shrug. "So?"

"A human would never sell anything to a robot, you idiot!" Maelstrom shouted, fed up with him already. "Access your files on the Third Discovery! Learn something!"

"Calm down, Maelstrom," Kreyin murmured, before Turb could respond. "There's no need for that." He turned to Turbulence. "He is right. That would be the reason for changing into human garb. So go ahead."

Scott watched curiously as they did, for he knew very little about this bit of programming, and Kreyin watched with an eye critical of his own workmanship; he had never gotten the chance to see whether the systems he had redesigned with Flurry and Tourian actually worked. This was the first test that particular system had ever gotten, as far as he knew. Scott's eyes widened in wonder as a nimbus surrounded one robot, then the other, the light from each mingling due to their proximity. For a moment, the light obscured all sight of the 'bots, then -

He gasped. "They look just like humans! Janus, look!"

Janus was indeed looking, and smiling proudly at his accomplishment. "Indeed, they do. Just as they are supposed to."

Turbulence was staring quizzically at the scientists, until he glanced in Maelstrom's direction. He leaped backwards with a yelp and caught his heel on a small work bench. He howled, startled, and landed on the floor with a thud.

Maelstrom glared at him for a moment, then blinked. The robot he knew had to be Turbulence now appeared as a slim, youngish human, a shock of blond hair flopping in his face and untied sneakers scrabbling to get a grip on the floor. He finally managed to sit up, rubbing the back of his head dazedly. At the sight of his counterpart's clothing, Maelstrom gave a pained moan. An unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt was thrown loosely over a tie-dyed tee, clashing hideously. He wore cutoff shorts, and a pair of sunglasses set crookedly before his eyes, which still held a look of confusion.

"Aw, man. I shouldn't have looked," he laughed, brushing himself off. He turned to the scientists. "You could have warned us, dude."

Kreyin smiled. "No taste for surprises?"

Turbulence glanced dully at Maelstrom, whose attire was somewhat plainer than his, and straightened his glasses. The formerly red-and-black armored 'bot wore a pair of too-long jeans that bunched up over his neatly laced sneakers and a simple T-shirt. His midnight hair framed the face of a sixteen-year-old, though his eyes showed an age beyond that.

The two were a study in contrasts, Turb appearing two years older than his companion, but definitely not as mature. Though Maelstrom seemed younger than he, his quiet authority dispelled any foolish notions his apparent age might have raised.

"So, um, how are we going to get there?" Turb asked finally, uncertain of how he looked.

"We walk," Maelstrom answered.

"Sure. That'll take too long." Turb snatched the list from Scott's hands. "We've only got two hours, Maelstrom."

"Then we run," growled the other.

"Nah, it'll still -"

"Then suggest something better!" Maelstrom bellowed finally.

Turb smiled acidly. "I was just about to, o impatient one." He grinned cheerfully at having center stage again. "Can't we - like - reassemble something and make a bike or something like that?"

Scott turned to Kreyin. "Do we have -?"

"I don't know." He snapped his fingers suddenly. "I saw an old gasoline motorbike in the garage out there, Scott. Do you think -?"

"Maybe. I wonder if we have -"

"Of course we do." Kreyin smiled cheerily. "We can have that fixed up in a jiffy."

"Great!" announced Turbulence. "That takes care of one of us. . . . Now what about me?"

"With that outfit?" Maelstrom asked drily. "You'd do better on a - a -" He struggled for the word. "Skateboard! That's right."

"Skateboard - I like it! Do ya have one?"

"Er -" Scott looked uncertain. "I believe -"

"If not, we can make one," Kreyin said hurriedly. "You two stay put until we're through."

\--

Amazingly, only an hour passed in the repair and creation of the two robots' vehicular transportation. Turb glanced up earnestly as the two walked into the room, smiling and patting each other on the back.

"Well?" he said.

"Out front," Kreyin replied, and he and his friend returned to their conversation, which centered around making a line of those skateboard-things and selling them to make a living.

The robots shared a curious look, and they darted out front.

"All right!" Turb shouted.

\--

Maelstrom cast a glance around him, trying not to let his anxiety show in his expression. The controls to the motorcycle were exceedingly simple, and he'd had them mastered long before he had entered the city. At this point, he was busy finding Purdue and that store Scott had mentioned. He half-wished the human had been a bit more explanatory in his directions. Of course, this did give him the chance to jaunt about town on his very snazzy vehicle and catch the eye of many a young lady. Lovely, he thought, amused, I'm acting more human by the minute.

He skidded the bike around a corner, baring his teeth with ironic humor.

Turbulence was progressing neatly along, jumping his skateboard in a number of nearly impossible moves and nearly decapitating a young man who was sweeping the front walk of a store. "Sorry dude!" he called back over his shoulder, watching him shake his fist.

If he had been able to see what lay ahead on the road he was taking, the grin would have been wiped from his face. Just ahead, in an alley, crouched a pair of what some might call thugs. Some might also call them thieves and muggers. They called themselves a pair of kids who didn't have much money.

And Turbulence appeared to be a prime target.

"Hey, Ashton," muttered the smaller of the pair, "D'you really think he has any money?"

"Man, look at that board - not just anybody can afford that, Michael," was the response.

"So we get him?"

"Yeah."

Turb jumped from his skateboard, flipping it lightly under his arm as a the two young men stepped from the alley into his path. He looked at them curiously and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Something you two need?" he asked mildly.

"Yup," Ashton grinned, leaning back against the building and shoving his baseball cap down over his eyes. "Your cash, bro. Your cash."

"Cash?" Turbulence asked. "What - oh." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill Scott had given him to 'secure the line of credit.' "You must mean this stuff." He held it out for the two to inspect.

"That's exactly what we meant," Ashton answered. "Now hand it over."

Turb immediately shoved the money back in his pocket. "Sorry, dude. I need it. Try me next Tuesday."

Ashton inclined his head toward Michael, who proceeded to crack his knuckles threateningly. Turb rolled his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you guys," he said flatly. "Why not just let me by?"

"Sorry," Michael chuckled drily. "We need that cash more than you, man." With no further discussion, he charged at the robot, fist held high.

Turbulence slithered sideways and swung the skateboard at the young man, knocking him to the ground. Ashton stared at him for only a moment before launching an attack of his own and receiving pretty much the same treatment. Glancing boredly at the two as they got to their feet, Turb said, "You want to try again? I sure hope not. I've got an appointment to keep."

Ashton's face was a mask of rage, and Turbulence felt that a demonstration of his skills might be necessary. He dropped into a fighting stance and executed a series of kicks and punches reminiscent of judo or some such art, rendering the street lamp he stood next to a crumpled heap of metal and shattered glass. Michael muttered something to Ashton, who nodded in agreement, and the pair took off running in the opposite direction.

Turbulence took a moment to gaze after them before picking his skateboard up from where he'd dropped it and checking his internal chronometer. The affair had lasted all of two minutes, making it impossible for him to reach the store on time.

"Blast! Two minutes late. He's gonna kill me."

\--

"He's late! I told them he was in irresponsible twerp, but would they listen to me?" He started swearing under his breath, but a worrying thought struck. "I hope he hasn't run into any trouble."

A rather heavy-set man came out of the store at that instant, wiping his hands on an apron that barely covered his bulk. "What is your business here, young man?" he demanded flatly, placing a meaty hand on Maelstrom's shoulder.

Maelstrom shifted an icy glance back over his shoulder and shook himself loose. "That's my affair," he replied. "Not yours."

"Ah," the man chuckled, belly shaking, "ah, but it is. I don't need loiterers around here, boy. Now what do you want?"

Maelstrom spun, fists clenched. He hadn't appreciated the 'young man' bit, but 'boy' was taking things a touch too far. "Listen up, you big tub of lard," he hissed, eyes flashing, "I don't really feel like having a heart-to-heart right now. Leave me alone."

Neither of them noticed the blond eighteen-year-old who had walked up only moments earlier, but soon enough to catch most of the conversation. Turbulence watched the pair thoughtfully, wondering how far Maelstrom was going to take this. At that moment, the man reach out and took hold of the robot's arm. Turb grinned. Temper, temper, Maelstrom. Don't hurt him.

Maelstrom scooped his foot around the man's leg, sending him sprawling, unhurt. He watched him struggled to his feet and blinked with surprise as he found himself caught in a fierce bear-hug. Eyes vaguely amused, he rather absently pried himself loose and pushed the man to the ground again. "Forward, aren't you?" he commented. "I'm afraid you're not my type."

Turbulence laughed out loud as the human walked back into the store, swearing about lousy, worthless kids. Then he blinked. "Maelstrom - I think that was the owner."

\--

With profuse apologies and the bribe Scott had given them, the two managed to get the needed groceries, and they took their separate paths back to the lab. They explained the incidents to their creators, who nodded gravely.

"You did well not to break the laws," Kreyin said. "However, you probably could have handled that situation a little better, Maelstrom."

The robot shrugged. "He annoyed me."

"Oh," Turb grinned. "Is that all." He stretched. "Can I cook?" He glared at the suddenly apprehensive expressions on the two scientists' faces. "Hey, you haven't even given me a chance yet!"

"You're absolutely right," Scott commented, trapped by the very words he'd used to chastise Maelstrom. "Are you very hungry, Janus?"

"We'll soon see, won't we?"


	48. First Mission

The days passed quietly for most of the people at the Company as Vengeance's training progressed. Those on his development team went back to their fruitless work on the time machine, and Diane disappeared almost completely from the lives of her employees, working as she was on her robot's instruction. She spent most of her days in the simulation rooms, generating more and more difficult courses and scenarios for him.

And he excelled. He learned faster than she remembered any of the other robots learning, and after three weeks, he showed no sign of the destructive aberrations that had led to the abandonment of robotics.

In the middle of his fourth week of training, Diane stood in a small cubicle overlooking the sim, watching her robot seek and destroy holographic robots similar to him. He seemed to have no loyalty for his own 'race,' which would serve her purposes nicely. Her eyes narrowed sharply as he approached his final obstacle, a setup liberally peppered with human targets. She had no particular feelings about humans being killed in the process of meeting her goals, but this was yet another test of his integrity. Only if all the humans survived would he pass the test. Her mouth took on the shape of a smile. Naturally, it would be humanly impossible to keep everyone alive and destroy all the enemies, but Vengeance was no human.

Lightning quick, her robot dispatched the enemies, and each and every human was safe by the end of the sim, sunk to the ground and sobbing his or her relief. Diane gazed on it, amused. Vengeance seemed nearly disgusted by the displays of the holographic humans, and he turned toward her with a glint in his eye when she switched the sim off.

She stepped down from her observation post, unsmiling, and he stood stiffly at attention, as was his mildly annoying habit. It almost seemed he was mocking her, but she knew that could not be.

Nodding coldly, Diane said, "I believe you're ready." She saw him restrain proud smile and continued. "Take an hour to rest and recharge. After that time, report to my office and receive your orders."

With that, she turned on her heel, leaving Vengeance in the room to contemplate the challenge ahead. His eyes flickered brightly, curiosity growing. He had learned in those few weeks of his rivals, a pair of robots named Turbulence and Maelstrom, and of the foolish rebel scientists who had built them, Kreyin and Trene. He hoped that his assignment involved the destruction of those robots - eliminating a threat to the authority of the Company.

After a moment, he made his way silently from the training room to his quarters nearby, ignoring what humans he passed in the hall. They shifted around him nervously, as if afraid of him. He had wondered for a number of days why they did that, but he soon dismissed it as deferring to his superiority.

Upon reaching the cold, stark room that he spent the bulk of his spare time in, he settled down next to the recharging unit and plugged in, thoughts wandering again. He still had forty-five minutes before he was to report to Mrs. Holcomb, but he knew that it was better to be early in such situations.

A computer terminal crouched against the far wall like a misshapen animal, blank screen staring emptily out at him. He had accessed it many times, finding a wealth of fascinating information. To his utter surprise, he found himself locked out of several things, none of which had seemed particularly secret or important.

One of them had been the "Third Discovery," which Kreyin, he knew, was supposed to have set off. Undoubtedly, the lockout was put in place simply because the facts of the disaster were irrelevant to his mission. He had been informed of two other robots constructed by Kreyin, Flurry and Tourian, who had disappeared a month or two ago, only to reappear and disappear again. He did not consider them a threat, seeing that they had not come back after the second disappearance.

Vengeance spent the rest of his time before the scheduled meeting with his creator thinking over the possibilities for his new assignment. He ruled out a mock-mission almost immediately. His performance in the simulations and field tests had seemed to please her, and he was under the impression that this would be a major project, something that would require full use of his abilities. He leaned back against the wall, smiling to himself. He was ready for a challenge.

\--

Diane Holcomb was smiling by the time Vengeance reached her door and requested entrance, all in anticipation of the successes that lay ahead. She bade him enter, and he stepped inside, eyes bright with what she assumed was eagerness to proceed with his mission.

"Ah, Vengeance. Please come in." She watched him easily as he marched over and stood before her, stiffly at attention. "Relax, Vengeance; there's no need for such formality - except for a public display." She sauntered over to her viewscreen, still smiling. "You, my soldier," she said, almost purring, "are my only chance to defeat these rebels."

Defeat. The word had a ring of finality to it. Vengeance cleared his throat and spoke up. "Will I be permitted to destroy the robots?" he asked, trying to keep the hopeful note out of his voice.

Diane chuckled happily. "Perhaps later, my Vengeance. This mission centers not on them, but on this -" she swung her arm and jabbed a finger viciously at the viewscreen, voice dropping to a snarl "- this scientist. You know him as Janus Kreyin, correct?" At his nod, she continued. "I want him captured. He has information vital to many of my projects, and he has no desire to share it with me."

Vengeance nodded sharply, disguising his disappointment at the mission. "I will capture him without fail."

She didn't respond, instead calling up a map on the viewscreen. "We have narrowed his location to somewhere in this 100-kilometer area. We traced a great deal of activity to that location - and I don't mean campers out on a weekend trip. Activity has all but ceased in the past few weeks, but it should be no trouble for you to find." Her eyes flickered to his and locked there, as if she was trying to bore a hole into his mind and see what he was thinking. "I will expect a prompt report upon your return. And I have no patience for failure."

"I will not fail you."

"Then go."

He turned and marched from the room, the picture of military discipline, but when the door swung closed behind him, he broke into a run, a gleeful grin coming to his face. This mission would be simplicity itself. Those foolish, rebel scientists would be completely unprepared for an attack of his magnitude, and the robots. . . .

Well, perhaps he would need to disobey Mrs. Holcomb's orders.

\--

Maelstrom flinched slightly as Turbulence's familiar yell of triumph echoed through the house. He turned from where he was working on some kind of puzzle cube the scientists had given him. "What is it this time?" he asked sharply, setting the cube down.

"Perimeter defenses are up and running," Turb announced to whoever happened to be within hearing distance, "remote cameras are operational, radar tracking systems - hey, is anybody listening to me?"

"How can we help it?" Maelstrom retorted crossly, picking his puzzle up again.

Silence greeted his remark for a moment. "Hey, big guy," Turb said finally, "no one asked for your opinion - so keep it to yourself." With that said, he began to rattle off his list of mechanisms again. "Radar tracking systems are functional, and - hello."

"What is it, Turbulence?" asked Kreyin, coming out of the kitchen. He walked down into the basement area.

"We seem to have a visitor," Turb grinned drily.

Maelstrom gave up on finishing the puzzle. Setting it down on the living room table, he stalked down into the lab. "What is it?"

"I dunno," Turb growled, "but it ain't no forest creature. It's headed straight for us." The robot stood up, donning the armor that he and his counterpart had lately dispensed with. "Let's give those perimeter guns a spin. I'll head out after it."

Maelstrom opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Turbulence cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You can back me up, dude." He shrugged, turning toward the door. "Not that I'll need it."

"Overconfidence," Maelstrom said coolly, watching him.

Turb shrugged again and walked out. "Fire off those guns once whatever-it-is gets in range," he called over his shoulder to the scientists.

Maelstrom glared after him for a moment before getting his own armor and running after him.

\--

Vengeance belted through the woods at full tilt, dodging bushes, trees, and the occasional helpless animal. He was grinning almost insanely at the thrill of the chase, and he had encountered absolutely no resistance so far. He was perhaps 20 kilometers from his target, and going strong. He adjusted his course slightly to make up for a tangled patch of woods he'd had to cut around and upped his speed a bit. Taking a flying leap over a fallen oak, he came to a halt and took a deep breath.

A smirk tilted his lips and he started running again, only to find himself flying sideways into a patch of not-quite-solid mud. He stood up and wiped himself off, a little stunned. To his utter surprise, he found no external damage, and all his diagnostics came up clean. He shook his head and stepped out of the trees, eyes flatly suspicious.

He stepped forward carefully, but he saw nothing. Another step.

It felt like a huge fist, hammering out of nowhere to smash him back through the trees and into the mud puddle. With a roar of fury, he sprang back to the path. Utter stillness. He carefully skirted the area where he'd been hit and started off walking, when a glimmer of light caught his eye.

He turned. Half-hidden by tree and bush was -

A cannon?! They have the technology to build an air cannon? Vengeance's gaze darkened. Diane had never mentioned that.

Suddenly furious, he lifted his arm cannon and fired a blast of plasma. The plasma caught the gun in flare of white light, and it shattered, sending bits of metal into the air, where they sparkled like so many dust motes in the rays of sunlight that streamed between the trees before tumbling down into the dirt. His eyes were furious, and he was shaking with anger.

"Well, now," drawled an unfamiliar voice, "that just wasn't very nice."

Vengeance spun sharply, just in time to see a blue-and-white armored robot drop neatly off the branch of a tree. How he'd gotten there without the thing breaking was quite beyond his comprehension, but that was the least of his worries at this point. Running through the files Diane had given him, he identified the robot as Turbulence, one of his main rivals. Mrs. Holcomb had a special grudge against this one.

"Setting traps for innocent strangers isn't very nice, either," he replied coolly.

"Innocent stranger my grandma," Turb said flatly, hefting his arm cannon.

Vengeance considered firing at him to get him out of the way, but instead he said, "I have no business with you. Leave now, and I'll let you go in peace - rather than pieces." He smiled coldly. "I'll save the pleasure of hunting you down for later."

"Don't bet on it," Turb yawned. "Any business you have in that place over there is my business, so let's get on with it."

Vengeance, fed up with trying to talk him into leaving, charged at him with a low roar. Turb gave him a quizzical look and sprang over his head, landing lightly behind him and letting loose a gust of wind from his arm cannons. Vengeance was flung several yards into the forest, and he got to his feet, rage overriding his orders. He fired off a number of plasma blasts, each of which was neatly dodged, and he tried charging again. Turbulence, a look of boredom on his face, landed on his opposite side and leaned one hand against a tree.

Vengeance spun sharply. "Stand still and fight, you coward!"

"Wait a minute," Turb laughed suddenly, "Let me get this straight - I'm a coward just because you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn?"

Holcomb's robot uttered a howl of sheer fury, and Turb took the moment to launch an attack of his own, leaping into the air at his opponent. Just as he was about to finish the move, however, Vengeance, lightning-quick, slashed his hand upward and knocked him to the ground. Turb grunted sharply, trying to scramble to his feet, but before he could, the enemy 'bot took hold of his leg and swung him in a wide circle, finally flinging him headlong into a tree.

There was a slight crunching sound, and Turb crumpled at the bottom, unconscious.

Grinning triumphantly, the intruder ran on into the forest.

\--

Maelstrom stepped over to his counterpart and crouched down, checking his vital signs. "Idiot," he muttered softly. Turb had sustained no major damage in the encounter. Even throwing him into a tree won't damage his thick head.

Maelstrom stood up, looking after the intruder. "Not that I'll need it," he said mockingly, and ran on after him, leaving Turbulence to sleep.

With his greater knowledge of the twists and turns of the forest, the red robot soon outdistanced his enemy, finally dropping out of nowhere right into Vengeance's lap.

Vengeance sprang back, startled and angry. "Wha -"

"What do you want here?" Maelstrom asked flatly.

"I came to see my grandmother," Vengeance said mockingly, tilting his head in the most arrogant manner possible. His exposure to these robots was giving him a remarkably sarcastic and unpleasant manner.

Maelstrom rolled his eyes in disgust, deciding to play along for the moment. "You took a wrong turn back at the river," he said coolly.

"No - as a matter of fact, I saw her just a few minutes ago - or was that a he? You know," Vengeance said drily, "your friend does fight like a girl."

"Lord save me from idiots and fools," Maelstrom moaned in annoyance, then said, "You haven't answered my question."

"Yes, I did. Maybe not truthfully -"

"Tell me why you're here."

"It doesn't concern you. Let me go on my way, and we won't have anymore trouble, now will we?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." In a blur of motion, he fired off a shot, deliberately missing, and darted away into the woods.

Vengeance watched him in amazement. A decoy - he's trying to be a decoy. He grinned acidly. And someday when I have more time, I may let myself fall for it. With that robot trying to lay a false trail through the woods, the way to the scientists' lab was clear, and he ran on.

Maelstrom bit back a curse as he realized that his ploy had fallen through. Worry and anger etching his face, he scrambled for a shortcut to the lab, hoping he'd make it in time.

\--

Vengeance came to a halt before the run-down looking building that he decided must house the rebels' lab. Taking a quick look around, he saw no other defenses and marched straight for the door. He was about to step inside when a blur of red blocked his entrance. He jumped back sharply.

"Will you quit doing that?!" he yelled.

Maelstrom didn't answer, saying only, "Go back to whoever sent you and tell them you failed. I will not let you by."

Vengeance took a step back. I should have shot this one when I had the opportunity. Allowing his anger at being stopped in his tracks to boil, he suddenly charged forward.

Maelstrom, not expecting any attack at all, was bowled over completely and knocked into a daze when Vengeance gave him a vicious kick to the head. He got to his feet suddenly, crying out when he couldn't see the other robot.

\--

Vengeance had darted away to the kitchen, where he found Scott Trene at work, much to his delight. "So there you are," he said thoughtfully. "Now where's the other?"

Scott turned, startled, and went very, very pale. "Who -?"

Vengeance shot forward and pinned the man to the wall. "I asked you a question - now tell me where the other is -"

Scott howled in surprised pain. "Who are you? Who sent you?"

"An old friend of yours sent me," Vengeance said flatly, "and who I am is none of your business." He pulled the man down, headed for the door with Scott in tow. "Now, you're coming with me quietly, are you not? Or will I have to knock you out?"

"We're not going anywhere," came a darkly angry voice from the doorway.

Vengeance looked up at Dr. Kreyin, eyes curious. "Ah, there you are, now -" He glared as Maelstrom appeared behind the man. "I -"

"Take this to Mrs. Holcomb," Kreyin said, cutting him off.

Vengeance released Scott sharply to catch the disk that was thrown to him through the air, and the man tumbled to the ground. "What's this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Take it to her, and tell her that it contains everything she wanted to know," Kreyin said flatly. "Leave this place now, before Maelstrom gets impatient with us."

Vengeance turned the disk over in his hands, considering his options. "All right - I'll leave." His eyes flashed to Kreyin's as he slid the disk into a convenient compartment in his armor. "But if this little beauty falls through, I pity you for what she's going to do you both when she catches you." He left quickly, shoving rudely past Kreyin and running into the woods as fast as he could. He had no desire to stay any longer, knowing that Mrs. Holcomb would not be pleased with his performance. Perhaps, though, the data on the disk would take the edge off her displeasure.

Some time later, Turbulence walked back in, heavily supported by Maelstrom. As his companion released him, he sank to the floor, shoulder slumped and head bowed. After a moment, he looked up with a lame grin. "Nasty little bugger, wasn't he?"

\--

"Is this all you have?" Diane asked coldly.

"Yes," Vengeance said quickly, not meeting her eyes. "He said it contained all the information that you required."

Diane took a shuddering breath. AND YOU BELIEVED HIM, YOU FOOL!? The words went unsaid, and she finally nodded sharply. "Take the disk to data analysis and have them extract what information they can from it." She turned away.

Glancing up, Vengeance nodded. "I will." He turned, prepared to go.

"Vengeance," she said, just as he reached the door. He turned his head, uneasiness in his backward glance. "We will discuss your first mission at a later date."


	49. Resentment and Building Fury

As soon as Vengeance was out of the room, Diane turned to her viewscreen, dialing up his development team. She made her gaze piercing and cold as their director's face flickered onto the screen.

"Mrs Holcomb!" he said, sounding surprised. "If this is about -"

"Randall Scott," she said flatly.

"Yes, ma'am?" He sounded timid.

"Your robot has failed me."

The man went very pale and tried to stammer out a response.

"I have told you many times not to interrupt me," she said, and he was silenced. "However, I feel that his failure should not mark you for eternity." He glanced up, uncertain how to take her remark. "I give you one chance to redeem yourself and those under you." She turned her back from the viewscreen, where Randall was beginning to squirm nervously. "I wish you to build me another robot. A female. Perhaps she can make up for a man's mistakes." She turned back to the viewscreen. "I will take care of her programming personally."

The man could do nothing but stare at her in dismay.

"Note that this project supersedes all work on the time machine, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said mutedly.

\--

Turbulence slapped his hand against the keyboard, telling the computer to run through the videos again. The only records the remote cams had been able to come up with were those of the intruder first entering the forest and an occasional flash of color in the trees not to mention when he entered the clearing the house was situated in. He had left no name - only his affiliation with the Company. Turb uttered a strangled sound in frustration, then turned, startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He blinked, then his eyes grew hard. "What do you want? Here to congratulate me on my stellar performance again?"

Maelstrom shook his head, hair shifting lightly around his face. "Actually, I came to ask if you'd like to take a break. However, if you'd prefer -"

"Nah, nah." Turb stood up sharply, pushing away from the computer. "I, uh, could probably use a break."

They looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment, and then Turb was gone.

Maelstrom sank down at the computer, eyes suddenly burning. He felt the humiliation of those earlier events just as keenly as his companion, if not more so. They had allowed a dangerous intruder to penetrate their defenses, and in doing so failed in their purpose. That robot would pay for what he'd done - in spades.

Turbulence walked up out of the basement, heaving a slightly despondent sigh. He and his counterpart had been much more civil to each other since that day, and he was still having a bit of trouble adjusting to it.

As he walked into the living room, Kreyin glanced up at him. "Did you find anything new?" he asked slowly.

Turb shook his head, sinking to the floor in front of the coffee table. He leaned his chin on it, bangs falling into his face. Kreyin glanced at Scott and gave the slightest nod in the direction of the man's quarters. Without a sound, the other man walked from the room, carrying with him his mug of coffee. Kreyin cleared his throat, glancing down at his creation.

"Turbulence, is something wrong?"

"No," the robot mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Kreyin set his own mug down, blinking his eyes contemplatively. "Do you think you could be carrying this business with the intruder too far?"

Turb sat up sharply, face suddenly flushed with anger. "What are you saying? He busted through our defenses, nearly got Scott, humiliated the both of us! I - we don't want him to do it again!"

"Exactly."

Turb blinked, head sinking down again. "What do you mean?" he asked, subdued.

"Turbulence - what is your purpose - what did Scott and I create you for?"

"To - to protect you, I guess. Why?"

"I'm beginning to wonder - if perhaps I didn't go too far, if perhaps I only created you for . . . revenge." The man bowed his head dolefully.

Turb lifted his head, eyes suddenly filled with terror. "You're not gonna - deactivate us or anything . . . are you?"

"No!" Kreyin cried, "No, I wouldn't dream of doing that. But - you must learn - gah, I don't know how to say this."

The robot turned away, blinking his eyes quietly. A silence stole over the room until Kreyin finally spoke again.

"Did I ever tell you - about my other robots?"

"Other robots?" Turb asked. "What other robots?"

"They should be in your data files - Flurry and Tourian." The man waited for a moment, beginning again when his creation nodded curiously. "I believe I told you the circumstances of their disappearance." Another nod. "But I do not believe I told you what their motives were."

Turbulence looked thoughtful, then he shook his head.

"To protect me."

Turb gave him a funny look. "Protect you? By leaving?"

"They traveled back in time to - to fix something that went terribly wrong. Now, either they botched the job up so badly they destroyed our world themselves, or history refused to change. I am inclined to believe the latter." He took a sip of his coffee. "But that is not the point. Those two risked their existence in the hopes of saving me and probably countless others. The risk they took was far too great, and I may never see them again because of that." He looked into the robot's eyes, pained. "You must understand me, Turbulence. I will not have any more of my creations flying off to their own destruction in a hopeless quest."

Turb shook his head lazily. "Don't worry - we won't do anything stupid." He refrained from adding, "like them" to the end of the statement, seeing how much the loss of that pair had hurt the man. He stood up, his familiar grin springing to his face.

"Just remember," Kreyin said softly, staring into his coffee mug, "don't take your need to protect me - or your lust for revenge - don't take them too far. Nothing good will come of it."

Turbulence was uncertain, but he nodded. "We'll do our best. With luck, you'll never get rid of us!"

Kreyin looked up sharply, but Turb was already gone out the front door, taking a turn at the patrol that he and Maelstrom had set up to guard against a repeat of the intruder's attack. He shook his head, wondering if anything he'd said had gotten through.

\--

Vengeance was unsure how to take his creator's sudden silence. She hadn't contacted him since the event of his failure, and he could only guess at what she was doing. In the dim light of his stark quarters, he mused on the events that had locked him away from everything that was going on. Hacking into the data analysis files, he found to his dismay that the disk he had been given had only half completed files - even though they covered every component of the machine. Duped. No wonder he was receiving such chilly treatment.

But as he thought about it, he decided that what he had retrieved was near as useful as one of the men themselves. They now had more information to work with as they patched up the machine - whatever it was. He had not failed in his first mission - he had simply accomplished a different set of objectives.

It occured to him for a moment that his creator might not see it in the same light, and he speculated on what she could be doing. Suddenly still, he broke into the files belonging to his development team. Nothing. He started. Nothing? How can they work off of nothing? He was restricted from the same files as before - there was nothing new. Then she's got them working without a computer? Impossible. Or perhaps they were using his schematics - modifying them and -

He shut the thought out. How could she possibly -? Build another robot.

Days later, as Vengeance was flipping boredly through some classified files, he was interrupted by a familiar voice and face.

"Mrs. Holcomb," he said, voice a cross between surprise and respect.

"Vengeance, how nice to see you," she smiled, eyes suspiciously easy.

"Indeed - a pleasure." His gaze was uncertain. Diane wasn't big on pleasantries. Before he could think of anything more to say, she spoke again.

"I would like you to come down to the lab - you know which one, certainly." Her smile became almost cloyingly sweet. "There's someone I want you to meet."

And his every suspicion was confirmed. Masking his horror, he nodded curtly. "I will be there momentarily."

She nodded coolly and signed off.

The walk to the lab that had witness his 'birth' was all but silent; Vengeance saw no sign of any humans until he passed by his own development team, headed down the hall at an unusually brisk pace. Vengeance wondered drily what Mrs. Holcomb had said to them. As he neared the lab, he straightened, trying to keep his thoughts from anything but what lay ahead. He wondered vaguely what the other robot would look like - what his weapons systems would be - would he be superior? The thought chilled him. He reached the door and paused, readying himself. Steeled against what lay ahead, he swung the door wide -

And stopped short.

Standing next to the very table he had been created upon was Mrs. Holcomb, a coldly imperious smile on her lips. But the sight of his creator was not what brought him to such a complete halt.

"A girl?" he managed finally. "You're replacing me with a girl?!"

She was nearly as tall as he and well-proportioned, standing with one hand on her hip as raven-dark hair cascaded over her shoulder. It was straight and slightly coarse, nearly blending with her dark purple armor. Golden eyes blinked, and a her lips formed a pout of annoyance.

"Please tell me he's not the one I have to work with." Her eyes grew disgusted.

She reached over to the lab table and picked up a helmet, which she proceeded to slide onto her head. It fit snugly, leaving her bangs hanging over her forehead, but pushing the rest of her hair behind her back and out of the way. Her eyes flickered to Vengeance again. "Surely he's more intelligent than this display would lead me to believe."

Diane smiled, almost fondly. "Of course. Now, Vengeance." Her eyes grew stern as she looked at her first creation. "You are to work together, do you understand? As one unit would work. I will have absolutely no bickering, rivalry or backstabbing." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, a little bit of rivalry is healthy - but under no circumstances is there to be any- do you hear me? - ANY backstabbing." She smiled. "I can't have my favorite warriors killing each other, now can I?"

Vengeance's eyes flashed to the other robot's. They met and locked, something bordering on spontaneous hatred in their gazes. Holcomb stepped between them, smile fading. "You heard me," she said flatly. "Now do as I say."

Vengeance tried to relax, and the other robot did the same.

"Introduce yourselves," Holcomb said, sounding amused, and stepped out of the way.

"I'm Vengeance," he said flatly, crossing his arms and looking away.

She smiled and inclined her head coldly. "Juniper."

He blinked, then stared at her. "Juniper? What kind of a name is that?"

Her mouth twisted into a snarl, then she forced herself to relax, bringing her hand to her mouth with a scornful laugh. "Look who's talking, Vinnie."

"What did you call me?" Vengeance roared, hands clenching into fists.

Before the discussion could go much farther, Diane Holcomb stepped in the way again. "That's done," she said, ignoring the threatening gestures that passed between the two. "Vengeance, you will begin training her tomorrow."

"I what?" He sounded dismayed.

"Take her through the same curriculum you went through. And I expect results, do you understand?" She crossed her arms, looking him directly in the eye. "Perhaps in this way you can redeem yourself for you first failure."

Failure. The word stung him - and right in front of that wretched Juniper! He snapped to attention, however, grey eyes meeting hers. "It will be done," he said.

She nodded, not bothering to answer him otherwise, and left the room.

The two robots stood in place and glared balefully at each other.

Juniper was the first to break the silence, shifting her shoulders and glancing around boredly. "Well, Vinnie, where do I go from here?" A cool smile tilted her lips.

"Don't call me that!" Vengeance snapped. "I am Vengeance - and you'd do well to remember it!"

She rolled her eyes in disgust. "Oh, very well. Vengeance, then." She slipped her helmet off again and shook her hair out. "Now, would you kindly tell me where I'm supposed to stay in this smelly pit of a building?"

"Smelly pit?"

She rolled her eyes yet again, and Vengeance pointed out that it was a rather annoying habit. "Shut up," she snapped. "Where are my quarters?"

"Ask your creator!" he retorted. "I just found out about you, myself."

Juniper put a hand to her forehead delicately. "Then I guess I'll be staying with you. Ugh."

"What?! I don't think so -"

"Be quiet and show me where your quarters are. Believe me, I'll do my best to stay out of them." She started to walk past him toward the door.

"Brat," he muttered softly.

"Pig," she responded, then yawned. "Now hurry up and show me where to go."

I'll show you where to go, Vengeance thought angrily. Straight to the recycling plant!

He stalked to the door, shoving it open and letting it swing back in hopes of hitting her in the face. She caught it easily and followed him out, shifting her helmet against her hip.

"How juvenile," was her sole comment.

The weeks ahead, Vengeance reflected dully, were bound to be very interesting.


	50. Forever Time

A heavy hush settled over the small group as Zephyr sped on to her destination. For a few moments, they could only stare in disbelief at what was happening. After the time jump, Zephyr had flown for over two hours, zigging and zagging crazily as she went. X and Tourian had no luck getting readouts of their coordinates, knowing only from data the ship herself provided that they were flying above a forest, and Zero remarked sarcastically, "Do you want me to hop up to the sun roof and look?"

"Might help!" Tourian retorted, already uptight at being trapped in the out-of-control machine.

X leaned back in his seat, swearing softly to himself. Misery may love company, but this is one misery I could certainly pass on. His past experience with Zephyr's off-the-wall chases left him both a greater resignation to the situation and a greater sense of terror.

Flurry fell to one side as the machine took another hard turn. She sat up again, looking harassed, only to be thrown down by yet another jolt. The stupid thing must be trying to get us lost. As if sending us hurtling to who-knows-where in time wasn't enough. She regained her balance and was pitched forward, almost into Zero's lap.

He jerked aside, glaring down at her. He seemed to be having no trouble keeping his balance, and X and Tourian were strapped into their seats. She pushed away, giving up on sitting on the bed, and curled up on the floor next to Ayrmin, who whined at her. She smiled wanly, patting the dog's head, and he licked her hand, flopping his tail wearily.

Zero glanced up at the hole in the ceiling, a satirical look coming to his face. "We aren't in the city. I see blue sky - instead of puke brown."

"Shut up, Zero," Flurry mumbled.

Much to her surprise, he did, making a face at her. She rewarded him with a tiny smile and lifted her head to call out to the others. "Any idea where -"

She stopped in the middle of her statement as Zephyr came to an abrupt and violent halt. Even Zero was rocked sideways, catching himself with one hand. Flurry sat up, patting Ayrmin on the head, and looked around. "Well, what now?" she asked of no one in particular.

At that moment, the side door opened of its own accord. The group looked at each other, and Zero shrugged. "Guess this is our stop," he remarked, getting slowly to his feet.

X and Tourian nodded at each other and walked back to join them, Tourian pulling Flurry to her feet. Uncertain gazes passed among them, even though the message the ship sent was clear. It was made even more clear when the entire thing tilted. Unable to keep his balance, X crashed to the floor and slid out the door, landing on the ground with an unceremonious thump. He stared up into the doorway, unbelieving, and Zero shouted, "All right! We're leaving, for crying out loud!"

He was the next out the door, watching as X dusted himself off. Flurry came next, Tremor crouched in her arms and Jackdaw on her shoulder. Tourian jumped out, turning and whistling to Ayrmin, who sprang outside with amusing alacrity. Flurry laughed, realizing that the animals had spent more time cooped up in Zephyr than anywhere else on the entire journey. She looked thoughtfully at the still-open door, and she jumped back inside without a word to anyone.

"What are you doing?" Tourian yelped. "Get out of there, Flurry!"

"Hang on!" she snapped, voice muffled. They heard the sound of tearing circuitry, and a moment later, she burst outside, bearing something in her arms.

Bare seconds after she jumped out, the side door slammed brutally closed, almost as if the machine was furious at them, and Zephyr flew away, raising a cloud of dirt and other debris. They stood still, staring after it as it sped away above the woods, silently unnerved by its apparently sentient behavior, until Tourian spoke up.

"She's headed straight for the Company," he announced soberly.

"How do you know that?" Flurry demanded.

"Oh - name somewhere else that thing'd go."

"Back to the lab!" she snapped hotly. "That's the only place she's ever been to!"

"No. As a matter of fact, I kept a log of her movements. We're a couple three hundred miles out of city limits, somewhere to the northeast." He grinned at her. "If you'd been paying attention, you could have done the same thing."

Flurry crossed her arms, turning her back to him indignantly. "I was too busy trying to keep my balance. Sorry."

"Yeah," Zero laughed, walking over to slap her on the back, "she's so small the thing tossed her around like loose cargo!"

She spun sharply and punched him in the stomach. "Leave me alone, you jerk," she said coldly, watching him bend double.

"Uh, yeah," he grinned lamely, "whatever you say."

"So," X said, speaking for the first time, "if it's headed for the Company like you say, what should we do about it?"

Tourian looked thoughtful. He opened his mouth to speak when Flurry broke in, shaking her head.

"We'll never be able to catch her," she said, "but we can get to the Company ourselves." Her eyes grew stubborn. "We have to recapture that machine before Diane Holcomb gets her grubby paws on it - so let's get moving."

Tourian opened his mouth again, but X raised a hand, eyes speculative. Tourian made a face at him, but he spoke anyway. "Zero, this place is kinda familiar."

Zero glanced around. "Yeah. It is. Why?"

"You remember those mechs? The - the Robot Rides, I think Doc called them."

"Yeah. So?"

"There was a platform around here - I know it. Used to be a factory, if I remember right."

"Yeah," Zero said for the third time, crossing his arms. "What are you up to, X?"

"Well," X said, starting off into the wooded area, "if we find one, we can use the mechs to get back to the town a lot faster."

"But how do you know they'll still work after all this time?" Flurry asked doubtfully, following him.

"Never know unless you try."

They trekked on in silence, except for X, who hummed tunelessly to himself. Flurry and Tourian glanced at each other uneasily, and Flurry sidled over to him, muttering, "The big question is - when are we? How far into the past - or future - has Zephyr brought us?"

He shrugged, glancing absently back at Zero, who brought up the rear, keeping an eye on the surrounding forest. "I don't know. But we'll find out soon enough. We need to worry about transportation now."

She shrugged, and they both glanced up, startled, when X shouted triumphantly, pointing ahead of them. They lost sight of him momentarily, but he reappeared in seconds, standing on an odd, low platform and waving at them. Flurry almost called out a question, when a low humming noise started. She blinked at it, yelping when the sound rose to a swelling shriek and a frighteningly bright glow of light shot up from the platform to surround X. Almost in the same second, the light vanished to reveal the 'bot seated comfortably in a huge suit of battle armor.

Zero raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "Why the Hawk?" he demanded.

"I don't know," X shrugged. "It can hover, I guess, and that'll be useful around here."

Flurry stood back, contemplating the situation. "I have an idea," she announced. "Maybe we should split up for a while."

X and Zero exchanged a look, wincing slightly at the idea, and Tourian shook his head.

Her eyes grew slightly annoyed. "Has anybody noticed where we are?" she asked, swinging her hand around to encompass the forest. "Does anybody know how much time has passed here? We could be in the past again - or better still the future! We could be months - even years - in the future! Dr. Kreyin and Dr. Scott could be anywhere by now." Expression tired, she concluded. "Two of us can find them, and two can chase after Zephyr."

X nodded in slow agreement from up in the Hawk. "She's got a point. What do you guys think?"

Zero wasted no time. "Tourian," he said sharply. "You can come with me, and we'll head after that stupid machine of yours. Flurry, you go find your scientists."

Flurry, in a bit of a huff at being ordered about in such a fashion, demanded, "Hey, why do I have to go with X?"

"You're small and you're light," Zero explained, clearly in a hurry to be on his way, "so you'll be less of a load for the Hawk to carry in addition to X." He lifted an eyebrow, voice suddenly amused. "Besides, there's no way either of us are going to sit in his lap."

"Sit in his lap," Flurry repeated flatly. "What makes you think I'm going to sit in his lap?" Her voice was deceptively civilized, and Zero backed slowly away.

X, from up in the Hawk, swallowed nervously. "Uh, you don't have to," he said quickly, "It'll be a tight squeeze, but you can fit in behind me - I think." I hope, he uttered mentally.

Tourian started laughing uncontrollably at them both. "You two!" he snickered. "You'd think -" He cut off when Flurry approached him, back stiff and cold anger in her gaze.

"Listen to me, hotshot," she hissed softly. "There'll be a day." She then turned her back smartly, stuck her nose in the air, and stalked over to the mech, where X sat, face pale.

"Do we have to do this?" he pleaded one final time.

"Shut up and let me up," Flurry snapped. The towering riding armor was making her feel even more diminutive than usual, which did little to help her mood. Without a word to her, X lowered one of the huge, missile-launching guns that formed the arms of the machine, and Flurry hopped up with little effort. From there, she clambered up to the control area, dismayed to find even less room than X had predicted. A haughty look on her fact, she swung her legs inside and sat on the edge, crossing her arms.

"I am not getting in there," she sniffed, when X glanced up at her.

"What's the matter?" Zero asked mockingly. "Afraid to get up close and personal?"

Tourian tapped him on the arm, muttering in an undertone, "Let me handle it. This'll get her in."

The red-armored robot looked at him curiously.

"Come on, Flurry!" Tourian yelled scornfully, "You wouldn't have any problems with the arrangement at all if Zero was the one in there!"

Zero choked, waving his hands at Tourian in alarm. "I don't know if that was such a hot idea," he groaned, chagrined.

Flurry spun so sharply she nearly fell out of the mech, eyes blazing with outright fury. "Tourian, how dare you even - you - you -!" Expletives failed her, and she hopped neatly into the cockpit, shoving X over with her hip. "Move it," she snarled. "I'm not sitting in your lap."

"No problem by me," X retorted.

Zero waved at them both and set out into the woods with Tourian, who was still laughing at his counterpart. The animals trailed after them, sending nervous glances back at the other two. They headed vaguely after Zephyr, but Tourian eventually decided that it would probably be better to go straight to the Company itself.

X and Flurry sat very quietly for a few moments, Flurry still stewing over the outrageous teasing she had received. Her mouth turned into a pout that she forcibly made a frown, and X finally cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Um, where should we head?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't know," she said, more sharply than she intended. "Somewhere toward Scott's house, I guess." She shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms. "Southwest," she said impatiently when he continued to look at her questioningly.

All in silence, X thumbed the mech's controls, and it lifted off. Flurry jumped, startled to see the ground fall away. They hovered for a few moments, flying forward at a reasonable pace, then slipping to the ground again as X eased off the controls. Flurry glanced at him.

"What's up? Why -"

"Don't want it overheating," he responded easily. "Don't worry about it. We'll be able to make good time."

"Oh."

They were silent for a while, and Flurry fell into worried contemplation, not hearing X's question until he repeated himself. "Do you really think they'll find Zephyr?" he asked, looking ahead. "I mean, she could have warped to another time by now."

"Huh?" She blinked, then smiled contentedly. "No. She would have warped right in front of us, logically, and besides, there's no way she can warp without this." She held up the object she'd kept in her arms ever since the time machine had flown off.

"What is that?" he demanded in astonishment.

"The time warp controls." She sounded a little surprised. "You should know that. I know the schematics just as well as Tourian." She was practically purring. "The machine can still warp - but she can't control to when. If Zephyr actually has any of the sentience she seems to display, then she won't try warping." She shrugged, eyes growing distant and tired. "At least, that's the way it should work."

X shook his head. "I don't know. That's awfully erratic behavior for a sentient being."

Flurry set the controls in her lap and gazed quietly down at them. "It was worth a shot."

"So," X said after a long silence. "Where exactly does this guy live?"

"If by this guy you mean Scott Trene, he lives somewhere in the city. We never went to his house - we were at the Company most of the time we were there." Flurry fiddled with the warp controls for a moment. "He doesn't live far from the Company, but he doesn't live too close, either." She paused, looking up. "I know his address, but we shouldn't go directly there in this thing."

"Gotcha." X took the mech into another long leap, hopping a bit on the landing. He grinned ruefully. "Took it up a little too fast."

She looked curious. "How does it work?"

He grinned at her. "Well, you use these controls here to control forward movement, and this if for the jump -"

Absorbed by the explanation, Flurry leaned curiously over the controls, eyes wondering. As X concluded, he said, "Want to give it a spin?"

"Er - I'm not sure," she said lurching away from the controls. "I don't -"

"Come on," he said reassuringly. "It's easy. Honest."

"I - okay," she said softly, seeing the look of earnest encouragement in his eyes. He was so much like Tourian. Tentatively, almost gingerly, she took the levers in hand, watching for X to nod - indicating that she was doing all right.

"Now, I'll help you at first, if you like," he said calmly, and she nodded gratefully.

He wrapped his hands firmly around hers, running through the controls again as he moved his hands and showed her. Within moments, Flurry was plugging along gleefully, occasionally lifting her head to shout with joy. X leaned back lazily, putting his hands behind his head. "Since you seem to be having so much fun," he said drily, "why don't you just pilot us for the rest of the trip?"

Flurry sniffed. "I was going to suggest we take turns."

He laughed. "Whatever."

\--

"Yo!" Turb shouted sharply.

Maelstrom glanced up from his end of the room, giving his counterpart a skeptical look. "Yo?" he asked. "Just what is 'yo' supposed to mean?"

"We've got something on our scanners, bud," Turbulence retorted. "Radar's picking up some kind of intruder. I dunno what - but it doesn't have any life signs."

Maelstrom turned back to his motorbike, shining it up with a sort of pride. "Is it that robot again?"

"Don't think so. Mass is too great - and I don't think our other visitor ever hopped."

Maelstrom turned his head and stood, eyes at once curious and bemused. "Hopped?" He leaned over Turb's shoulder, staring at the radar screen. The green blip that was their new intruder appeared indeed to be hopping. A long stretch of movement. A stop. Another long stretch. Maelstrom shook his head. "Is it headed our way?"

"Nah. It looks like it's gonna bypass us. It's headed for the city."

Maelstrom gestured impatiently. "Bring up a long range map. Where in the city are they headed for?"

"Cool your jets, Mael-man," Turb muttered. "I'm doin' it." As the map zoomed out, he absently tapped in a request for course extrapolation. "At their current trajectory, they're headed straight for Corrales Road," he shrugged. "I don't - wait a sec. Where did Doc Trene used to live?"

Maelstrom looked up. "Guess," he muttered flatly.

Turb cursed softly, rising. "So we're gonna do an interception, here - that sucker's not getting anywhere near Lynn if I have anything to say about it."

\--

The refreshing breeze that sprang up with each leap the Hawk took blew Flurry's hair back away from her face. She shook it out, and X made a noise, followed by some rather dramatic spitting. She turned her head.

"Oh, for crying out loud."

X shoved her auburn hair away, expression slightly annoyed. "I was yawning."

"So?" She took the mech into an abrupt flight, deliberately making the landing bumpy. "Sit up and pay attention, why don't you?" In the next moment, she uttered a slight shriek.

A shot of something whizzed by her head, and X sat up sharply. "What was that?"

She jerked her hands from the controls. "I don't know!"

He looked around at the suddenly silent forest. "It sounded like -" He jerked back, watching yet another volley fly past. "Plasma!" His teeth clenched. "I thought you said there weren't any robots in this time!"

"There aren't!" Flurry retorted. "Unless -" No! What if they're - Holcomb's?

Another plasma shot went past them. "Either he's a lousy shot or he's deliberately missing," X snapped, "but I'm not taking any chances! Fire off the guns."

"What?"

"The guns - oh, never mind." He reached across the panel and mashed a button fiercely.

Flurry yelped as the section of forest ahead of them was torn apart by the impact and violent explosion of the arm guns' missiles.

\--

Turb crouched down, staring up at the gigantic 'bot that had intruded upon their territory. "Gaw, what is that thing?"

Maelstrom growled. "Whatever it is, it's got more firepower than we do. Radio Scott and tell him to get Lynn out of that house."

"Gotcha."

While Turb did that, Maelstrom slunk out of hiding to get a better look at the monstrosity. It was standing still now, after tearing and uprooting and entire section of trees. His eyes flashed angrily, and he darted forward, bestowing upon the beast a violent kick at what appeared to be the knee joint.

\--

Flurry shrieked in terror as she heard a crunch of metal from below. "X - what now?"

He glared, now in full control of his machine. "Now we blast the living daylights out of the bugger," he snarled, turning the mech to the direction the kick had come from. Without hesitation, he fired the guns again, stripping the forest floor bare and revealing -

"Who is that?" Flurry asked, staring down at the prone figure below them.

It was clad in light blue armor - somewhat reminiscent of X's - and it stirred slightly, moaning. Out of nowhere, another robot appeared, this one in red and black. He crouched next to his companion, lifting him up. They spoke to each other quickly, and quietly enough that Flurry couldn't hear their words.

The blue one stood on his own, staring up at the mech and shaking his fist. "You'll never get away with whatever you're planning!" he bellowed, and Flurry leaned back in surprise. "Tell Diane Holcomb she'll never catch us!"

His companion nodded firmly, adding, "You'd do better to leave now, before we're forced to damage you."

"You?!" X exploded. "Damage us? I oughta -" His voice stopped when Flurry slapped a hand over his mouth.

"You shut up, idiot!" she snapped at him, yelling down to the others, "Whoever you are, just leave us alone! We haven't done anything to you!"

"I said get out of here!" the blue one howled. "And if you come back, we'll tear you apart, circuit by circuit!"

Flurry and X stared at each other. "Who are they?" Flurry whispered. "If they aren't with the Company, then who -"

X shook his head. "For now, we do what they say and leave." He had recovered his temper. "Jerks."

\--

Maelstrom and Turbulence watched the mech hover away into the distance. Turb sat down, wincing slightly. The blast had been buffered by his armor, but he was still hurt. Maelstrom stood stubbornly, eyes flashing. "Whoever they are, they'll be sorry they messed with us."


	51. Zephyr

Zero jumped another fallen tree, waiting for Tourian to catch up to him. They had been marching for some time through a rather monotonous landscape, and he was threatening to lose all sense of direction. Fortunately, Tourian still knew where they were going, and he was directing for them to continue on the path they'd set. Tourian caught up, and they started walking again. Zero glanced boredly around.

Trees, trees, underbrush, and more trees. Sun-dappled glades that typically housed gentle does in children's novels. Rays of sun catching the motes of dust in their paths and turning them into a crystalline shimmer of light. What a disgustingly, disgustingly beautiful afternoon. He nudged Tourian with a dry mutter.

"You'd almost expect something to jump out from behind a bush and start serenading us."

Tourian grinned. He, too, had been absorbing the beauty of the forest, but in a much less sarcastic way than his companion. "After everything I've been through, I think it's kinda nice. Personally."

Zero shrugged, uttering a disparaging noise. "To each his own." After a moment, he said, "How did you know that machine was going to head to the Company?"

"Well, it was headed the right direction for it - and whatever took over the machine sure wasn't on our side." He shrugged. "A hunch, I guess."

"That's great," Zero grinned wryly, "We're chasing after a hunch."

"Sauntering would be a better word."

"Is there a problem with sauntering?" he asked, a mild challenge rising in his voice.

Ayrmin barked at them, sensing an impending race.

"Only that it's slower than a snail." Tourian was perfectly willing to play along.

"I suppose you could do better." Zero stopped, one hand on his hip, the other held as if to snap his fingers.

Tourian continued walking, placing his hands up behind his head and stretching his legs as he went. "Let's just say I can definitely go faster than this."

"You're on - I could -" He stopped, tilting his head curiously. "What the?"

"What's up?" Tourian asked, watching him head off into the forest. He started to follow him. "Zero, what do you see?"

The robot put a hand up behind him. "Stay put. I'll be back in a sec." He jogged off, and the rustling of bushes was the only sign of his passing.

Tourian sighed dramatically, slumping cross-legged to the ground tousling Ayrmin's ears as he did. "What do you think he saw, boy? Nothing dangerous, I hope -"

He was startled to hear, at that exact moment, the sound of helpless, raucous laughter from the general area Zero had disappeared to. He glanced at his dog. "I don't want to know."

"Hey, Tourian," the 'bot called. "Get a load of this!"

Tourian rose and followed the voice, suddenly seeing Zero beckon from a nearby tree. He wore what might be called an insane grin, and Tourian uttered a mental moan. Ayrmin padded next to him, wagging curiously. "What is it, Zero?"

The red-armored robot pointed off into the underbrush. "Cameras! Whoever lives around here set up some remote cams." He laughed aloud.

Tourian shook his head amusedly as Zero proceeded to pull faces at the machine. After a moment he said, "Zero."

The other didn't respond, too busy laughing at what he considered poor security. He made another face, and Ayrmin barked at him.

"Zero," he said again, more loudly.

Again, no response.

"Zero!" accompanied by a smack across the back of the head. Tourian stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for a response.

Zero stumbled forward slightly, glancing resentfully over his shoulder. "What was that for?" he demanded, reaching back to check if his helmet was all in one piece.

"Let's get moving - okay?" Tourian answered impatiently. He turned and started walking wearily away. "And I think we'd better pick up the pace."

Shrugging, Zero followed him, slapping him between the shoulders as he caught up. "Lighten up, will you?" he asked easily. "You're starting to sound like X."

\--

Scott stared at the viewscreen, disbelief etching his face. The video had no sound to accompany the images, but they were definitely enough to confound him. Those two looked familiar, and they were apparently no stranger to such security measures - considering the red one's impudence. Their faces - he knew them, but he couldn't quite place them. Kreyin, who sat next to him, shook his head.

"That one acts like Turbulence, don't you think, Scott?" The older scientist sounded amused, absently replaying the sequence to look for another clue to the pair's intentions.

Scott nodded, dazed. Who the devil were they?

"They don't appear to be a threat," Kreyin continued, smiling thoughtfully. "So I won't bother sending Turbulence or Maelstrom out after them."

The two robots were still shaken by their encounter with the huge 'bot that apparently had two voices - or two heads. The 'brothers' had broken out into another argument over that point, Maelstrom in favor of voices, Turb in favor of heads. Neither had been able to see up to the top of the towering armor, so the issue remained a mystery.

"Scott, is something wrong?" Kreyin looked at his mesmerized friend in concern.

The man shook his head as if to cast away some shadow. "No - no. I'm fine." He smiled shakily. "They - just looked a little familiar."

\--

Tourian and Zero were running, jogging along as fast as the forest allowed. Every so often, Zero pointed out another camera, an air cannon, some piece of ill-placed defensive equipment. He thought it was hysterical. "This is pathetic - you don't even need a crowbar to break into this place."

Tourian nodded, wondering dully who lived around here.

And suddenly he stopped.

Zero, startled by the change in pace, skidded to a halt on the path ahead and turned curiously. "Wh-"

"Forget this!" Tourian shouted at him before he could even get a word out. "We'll never catch up to that stupid ship!"

Zero shrugged. "I know. As I recall, that was never our intention." He walked over to his companion, who was on his knees, shoulders shaking with misery. "Even Flurry said so."

"Yeah," Tourian muttered. "Let's go find her. Then we -"

"Nah," Zero cut him off, deciding not to allow him to finish the thought.

"Huh?" X's twin looked up, blinked almost dazedly.

"Let's go see where the ship crashed. After we know that, we'll find X and Flurry." Zero grabbed Tourian by one arm and yanked him straight up to his feet. "We'll see what we can do from there - got it?"

Tourian nodded, seeming a bit ashamed of himself.

"That's better." He started walking off. "Don't give up like that. It isn't healthy."

\--

Zephyr bucked once or twice, coming in sight of the building her possessor had identified long ago as the Company's headquarters. The place would be most useful, he had decided, having computer connections all over the world. A good place to rest for a time. The voyage in this tiny ship had been most . . . hazardous. It had been a mistake to possess her the first time, yet more foolish the second time. Both instances had only delayed his safe return to the world. But the machine's memory core was so . . . confining. He had panicked, and there was no other word for it.

But this - this Company. Ah, the amount of space their computers must possess. Such speed, such marvelous accessibility. Thrilling . . . even intoxicating. And such a fine, fine tool.

If this world had no robots for him to use, he could simply build more. Lovely, foolish humans, always providing him with the means of their own destruction. If only those other two hadn't survived. Interfering upstarts, all of them. Even though their salvation had made way for his own.

The building was approaching fast, and he felt Zephyr slow her approach. No - no, ram it! Make an impression on these fools. The machine doubled her pace to ramming speed, and her possessor exulted. Yes! A section of wall to the second floor fairly disintegrated at the machine's touch. Screams rang out. Humans dove for cover, trying to save their pathetic lives from the juggernaut of their destruction. The ones who didn't make it were crushed by her violent force. Zephyr came to a halt halfway through the building, battered and smoking, a spatter of blood marring her jet black exterior.

Alarms went off everywhere.

\--

The blaring klaxons startled Diane Holcomb from where she sat, listening to a progress report from Juniper and Vengeance. She was at a loss for words until Joon rose, golden eyes flashing eagerly.

"What's going on?" she breathed, hungry for a real fight, instead of a simulation.

Diane slapped her communications panel without responding to her. "Ray!" she bellowed. "RAY LAWRENCE! What's going on down there? You fool - are we under attack?"

Her husband's flustered voice sounded through the room. "It doesn't seem to be an attack, Diane - it isn't at all organized - something just smashed through the wall in the programming department!" There was a pause, the sound of someone jabbering in the background, and Ray spoke again. "We just got a casualty report - fifty-three dead. Twenty injured. I -"

"I don't care about the casualties!" she screamed at him. "What's the damage assessment? And what did this to us?"

"I don't know!" Ray said helplessly. "It destroyed most of our computer terminals down there, not to mention loss of life - and most of the projects we were working on are in utter ruin. That's over two million in damages -"

"What was it, Ray?"

There was a long pause. "Nobody's gotten close enough to find out."

"Then get close enough!" she shrieked. "No - you're all incompetents. Juniper, Vengeance. Find out what that thing is and bring it to me - in pieces."

The robots exchanged a feral grin and ran from the room.

\--

It was quiet - very quiet when everyone stopped screaming. He forced Zephyr an inch or two forward, toward one of the relatively undamaged computers. Threading his way through the machine's limited systems, he could find no way to transfer himself to a larger computer without someone's help. He bit back a snarl at the thought. It might have been a snarl, anyway, had he been able to do such things. The lack of space in the machine had reduced him nearly to his basic programming, and he had barely been able to keep his identity intact.

Helplessness was not a favorite state of being for him. He nearly panicked, nearly went crazy again.

No! They will - they will doom themselves. The same human curiosity that had created him would serve to let him into the computer. Surely they would desire to know the reason behind the machine's bloody crash landing and destruction. They would seek the information in the machine's own databanks. Perhaps -

He would have laughed, had he been able to.

\--

Juniper stopped, tensing. Vengeance halted just beside her, a sneer curling his lip. "What?" he demanded. "Did one of the shadows leap out at you?"

She smiled scornfully, pushing forward again. "Be silent, you egotistical fool."

He snarled, unable to think of a coherent response. "I don't see any reason to do what you say," he retorted finally. "I've got seniority."

"Who would guess?" she murmured, gazing quietly into the darkness. "There." She pointed ahead. "It's there."

Vengeance looked harassed. "I could have told you that."

"But you didn't."

"Shut up."

They inched forward, waiting for the beast to spring into life and attack them, but it didn't move. Finally, Vengeance stood up straight and stalked forward, eyes flat. "It's not going anywhere."

"Idiot!" Juniper snapped. "Do you really think -"

The shadows where she had decided their intruder must be lurched suddenly, humming with an odd-sounding fury. The two robots tilted their heads uneasily, watching it. The glow of repulsors lifted it off the ground, casting shadows of light across the shattered equipment and sparking wires, and the entire thing shuddered for a moment. It hovered for all the time it took to blink and settled heavily to the floor again. Vengeance jumped back, readying his arm cannon, but Juniper snatched his arm, eyes harsh.

"Don't fire on it," she snarled. "It's still now."

Vengeance glanced at her and nodded sharply. Generally, when Diane Holcomb said 'in pieces,' she meant that they should extract every scrap of usable information out of whatever offended her before using it for target practice.

"Call a team," Joon continued without bothering to note his acknowledgement. "Mrs. Holcomb will probably want to look over its memory and all." And if there were any humans in it . . . they were probably dead. Or extremely lucky.

Vengeance bit back an outraged retort. He had the authority in this situation. She had no right to order him around. Saying nothing in response, he tapped out the call-code for a tech team on a nearby undamaged panel. Receiving a green-light response, which meant they were on their way, he turned to Juniper and signaled that they should continue investigating.

Shrugging easily, she stepped over to the beast. A glance over the interior indicated no sign of life, and she sprang lightly inside. Vengeance followed her. The lights of the console danced on their armor, flickering various colors, but most often red.

\--

Who are these? He made the machine run a scan. Unusual. Familiar. Metallic. Artificial. Robots.

Then perhaps his servants were not all dead.

\--

Juniper stared at the console. The layout tugged at her memory, but she couldn't place where she'd seen it for a moment. Brushing her fingers over the controls, she came to a patch that appeared to be damaged. It looked - and felt - as if someone had ripped a part of the console right out of the machine. She suddenly turned to Vengeance, leaning against the panel for support.

"This is the machine," she announced coldly. "This is Zephyr."

Vengeance stared for a moment. What is she talking about?

"Idiot!" she cried. "Don't you know -?"

"Know what?" he asked acidly.

Disgusted, she put a hand to her forehead. "You know that we seek the scientist Kreyin, correct?" Her eyes flickered darkly. "I certainly hope so. You've heard of his other creations, correct?"

He nodded, wondering dully where she was headed with this.

"Do you know of their crimes?"

Crimes? "All I know is that they disappeared," he said flatly.

She laughed, throwing her head back as if to savor every moment of it. "They stole the time machine, you -" She decided not to call him an idiot again. "And this is it!" She laughed again. "Diane Holcomb has been trying to recreate it for all these months - and all she had to do was wait for it to come to her!"

Vengeance was lost in thought. "Then they've returned."

"Yes."

"But where would they go?"

She shrugged. "They'll probably try to find their creator, don't you think?"

At that point, the techs entered the machine, eying the darkness with a certain nervousness. They seemed quite shaken by the wreckage and carnage outside. Juniper, upon seeing them, walked over with a chilly and rather superior smile, but before she could say a word, Vengeance called out, "Plug it into an undamaged terminal and get what information you can."

They already knew that, but the feeling that they were under orders might improve their emotional situation. A little.

"We will report to Mrs. Holcomb," Joon said coolly, masking her disgust at being cut short.

She brushed easily past them all, smiling inwardly as they flinched away.

Vengeance worked fiercely at a way to get her out of his hands for a while. Her insubordination was driving him insane. He caught up to her as she stepped into a lighted hall and tapped her shoulder. She spun sharply, brushing her armor off where he'd touched her as if something foul had been spilled on it.

His eyes grew dark, and a few terms descriptive of her attitude rose to mind, but he pushed them away, saying, "Go to the simulation room and load Level Three AA. Work there until I return."

Her mouth twisted slightly; she knew exactly what he was up to. But she nodded briskly and walked away from him, tossing her hair scornfully over her shoulder.

After watching her leave, Vengeance made his way to Holcomb's office, eyes flickering with a number of emotions, none of which were what one could call pleasant. The humans who saw him fairly flattened themselves against the opposite wall trying to stay away. He didn't notice, too wrapped up in his roiling thoughts. That wretched little brat was making his life miserable. I was doing just fine until she came along.

He tried to compose himself as he reached Holcomb's office, determined to let no sign of agitation show in front of his creator. He tapped what was commonly referred to as a 'doorbell,' even though it was no such thing.

"Come in," he heard her say, and he entered the room.

She turned from her viewscreen, an amused expression on her face. "What is it, Vengeance?" she asked, giving the faintest impression that she was busy.

Stiffly formal, he answered, "I desire to know the reasons behind your creation of Juniper." He bit out her name, then berated himself for the weakness of letting his temper flare.

She raised her eyebrows, tapping her fingertips against the table she stood next to. "Why?"

"I simply wish to know." He sighed to himself, realizing belatedly that she was not going to tell him anything.

"Well then." She smiled coolly.

He flinched, startled at how much that smile resembled her robot's. "I apologize for bothering you," he said dully. "I will leave." He half-turned to go.

"No, stay." She seated herself at the table, meeting his gaze with a peculiar determinedness. "I suppose it would bother you, wouldn't it? I programmed you that way." Her eyes betrayed a certain weariness with the whole business. "I built her to provide you with a counterpart. A balance, so to speak." She shook her head. "Quite a bright little brat, sin't she?" It was said with a certain fondness.

Vengeance, uncertain how to respond, nodded slowly.

"I thought," Diane continued, "that a female could offset you - a male." She shrugged. "It worked, I suppose. I based her design on - an old friend of mine. By the same name. She and I worked together heading my Company for several years - until she overstepped her authority." A smirk. "I had her killed, of course." She didn't even blink as she related the tale, seeming lost in the past more than anything else. Vengeance was somewhat baffled. "I expect no such trouble from this robot. She has the same skills you have - with a single ugrade."

Vengeance stiffened slightly as she spoke. Upgrade?

"Her hand-to-hand combat skills come from a more advance, or rather, slightly different stock than yours. During my takeover, a small rebel group sprang up in - India? Perhaps a different place. It was while I was cementing my hold on their country. They called themselves dance fighters. They used a modified form of some martial art or other." She smiled, seeming almost dreamy. "They were marvelously good. It was quite a challenge defeating and exterminating them."

Vengeance was trying desperately not to appear as stunned as he felt. He wasn't quite sure why he was stunned, but the fact remained that he was.

She arched an eyebrow at him, stirring from her reverie. "I hope she has been using those skills."

He nodded.

"Good." She rose from the table. "I'm done. Does that answer your question? And the ones that would follow?"

He nodded again.

"Good. Now, fetch her from that simulation you put her in," she said, smiling knowingly. The smile faded. "We have things to discuss."


	52. Lost and Found

Screams of absolute terror echoed through the street, and people fled in all directions, some even going so far as to call the cops from the nearest phone booth. Flurry sat, stunned, in the cockpit of the Hawk, while X, swearing sulfurously at her, took the controls and tried to maneuver the mech through the street without stepping on anyone. Somehow or other, Flurry had gotten lost - and landed the Hawk smack in the middle of a residential area.

Though still chagrined at her incredible error in navigation, Flurry gasped in anger at a particularly near miss. "You idiot!" she shouted. "Be careful, will you?!"

"Hey!" he retorted hotly, turning his head, "I didn't land us here!"

Flurry, about to respond, suddenly shrieked, pointing down into the road. X blinked at her, expression turning blank. The mech's forward motion stopped, and the machine balanced precariously on one foot as he returned his gaze to the street. He yelped, backpedaling the machine in shock.

A woman stood directly in their path, glaring balefully up at the two of them. To their utter surprise, she suddenly shrieked, "Marrano!"

Flurry blinked. "What did she say?"

"Puerco!" echoed up from the street below. "Cochino!"

"What is she saying?" X growled. "I don't know any Spanish."

"I think she's calling us names," Flurry whispered in response.

There was a long silence from below. Then suddenly, "Cerdo!" for good measure. Another long silence, in which Flurry and X stared at each other, wondering what the words meant. Flurry peeked down at the woman, who was now making faces at them. "Oink-oink!" the woman shouted contemptuously.

"Hey!" Flurry snapped loudly. "She just called us pigs!" She leaned out of the mech and shook her fist at the woman. "What's the big idea?!"

She seemed startled to get a response, but she began to speak in English. "Pigs! Who do you think you are?" was her first question. "Do you think you can just charge through the middle of our road without getting a response?!"

X and Flurry stared at each other. "Uh -" X began.

"I'm telling you, you had better turn your stupid machine around and get out of here! Before I -"

At that exact moment, two girls burst from a nearby store, one after the other. The one in front howled. "Sra. Martinez! Get out of the road! What are you doing?"

The woman paid them no mind, continuing to rant at the occupants of the Hawk, who were shrinking lower and lower into the small space they had.

"I hope you know the trouble you've caused! And think of the damages!"

"Sra - please!" cried the other girl. "Get out of the street."

"Quiet, Laura!" the woman snapped imperiously. "I won't leave until this machine has turned around and gone home!"

"But -" objected the other.

"Hush up, Shastity!"

"It could squash you like a bug!" Shastity retorted, taking her by the arm. "Come on - before it decides to."

Sra. Martinez strained against her, but Laura took her arm as well, and she was soon on the sidewalk, still glaring at X and Flurry. "You'd better go!" she shouted, waving her fist.

"Right," X muttered, "We're leaving."

Neither of them heard the triumphant cries from behind them as the mech strode away. After what seemed like a long, heavy silence, X growled, "So which way to this guy's house?" He didn't trust himself to say much more, still fuming over Flurry's mistake.

"It's two streets that way," she said in response, gesturing off to her left. So much for entering town quietly. . . .

The bulk of the walk was made in absolute silence. The two endeavored to ignore each other and the panic their passage caused down below. Flurry toyed with a lock of hair, and X took the Hawk into a flying leap over the buildings just left of them. He landed in the street on the other side with an audible crunch, remarking drily that the thoroughfare now had a couple new potholes. Another leap, and Flurry lifted her head for a moment.

"Two houses behind us." She didn't say anything more, nursing a sore ego, thinking sourly on how she'd been yelled at, and generally feeling sorry for herself.

A moment later, X cleared his throat.

"What?" Flurry barked, a little more sharply than she'd intended.

"We're there," he answered flatly.

She blinked. "Oh. Well, good." She jumped from the mech almost before X had brought it to a complete halt and jogged up the entryway to the house. Once there, she neatened her hair, swallowed hard, and rang the doorbell.

There was a long silence.

She rang it again.

X walked up behind her, and she turned to him, concerned. "I don't think there's anyone home."

He shrugged easily and rapped on the door himself. Again, no response. The two looked at each other wonderingly and in utter silence.

\--

Lynn crouched down before the front door, heart pounding. Her hands were clasped in front of her to prevent them from shaking, and she bowed her head, eyes closed. Two hours earlier, she'd received a call from Scott's robots, warning her that someone was coming to the house. She hadn't known whether to take them seriously or not, but it appeared that they had been right. Her shoulders slumped miserably, wearily convinced that her doom was upon her. I should have gotten out of here while I still could. Deathly still, she listened to the pair confer outside.

"Well," yawned a male voice, sounding fed up with the whole business, whatever it was, "if they're not here, then where are they?"

"I don't know," sniffed an oddly familiar female voice. "I was sure Scott would take him home. . . ."

"Well, maybe they're hiding out somewhere else." His voice seemed familiar, too. She listened intently.

"But - where would they go?"

Lynn blinked. Anna? But she's -

"But nothing, Flurry. Let's go find Tourian and Zero." The sound of footsteps stomping grumpily away, and a muttered, "They're probably having more fun than we are."

"X! X, you get back here!" A frustrated sound. "I was sure Lynn would be home. I need to find Dr. Kreyin." Then, "X, get out of that mech right now!"

A distant, "No!"

"You listen to me, boltbreath - I'm not kidding!"

Lynn lifted her head and stared at the wall directly in front of her. These can't be Diane's thugs. They'd just bash the door down. Flurry? That sounds like - She jumped to her feet, suddenly very pale with shock. The robots - the ones that disappeared! Slowly, she turned to the door and put her hand on the handle. With a deep breath, she turned it.

Sunlight splashed into her darkened hallway as she took a single step outside. Blinking dazedly, the light revealed to her a petite girl with dark auburn hair shrieking obscenities at a young man who appeared to be settled in a large suit of riding armor. Lynn blinked, stared, blinked again. Sank against the doorframe with her hand to her forehead.

Flurry spun sharply at the sound, hands suddenly clasped over her mouth to cover a squeak of horror. "Lynn! Are you all right?" She lurched forward to catch the woman as she slumped to the ground. "X, get over here!"

X, for once, did as he was told and crouched down beside the two, worry on his face. "What did you do to her, Flurry?"

"I didn't to anything!" she said in dismay. "She just fainted!" Flurry gave a woman the slightest shake, staring worriedly into her face. "Go get her some water," she ordered absently.

"Right." X made to go into the house, when Flurry spoke again.

"No - wait. She's coming to."

He stopped, standing over them now, and watched.

Lynn shook her head in a bewildered manner, eyes opening and closing as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "Who are you?" was the first question out of her mouth. "What do you want?" was the second.

"Here, sit up," Flurry said gently, propping her up against the wall.

The woman patted her hand without realizing what she was doing. "But -"

"Hush. Let us explain."

Lynn smiled. The expression seemed unnatural, as if the woman hadn't any idea what was going on at all. And indeed she hadn't.

"My name is Flurry," the girl introduced herself. "He's X." She glanced at the other, who was staring quietly straight ahead, seemingly determined to ignore it all. "We came to see if Dr. Kreyin was here - we need to find him. Zephyr disappeared a little while ago, and we need his help to get her back." And destroy her, she added mentally.

Lynn nodded, suddenly coming back to life. "I - you're his robot - the one like Anna."

Flurry bit her lip and nodded in response.

Scott's wife tried to stand, and Flurry helped her to her feet. "They went into hiding," the woman continued. "They're kind of on the run - from the Company."

X turned to them slowly. "Where? Where are they?"

She stared at him, as if she'd never notice him before. "Who are you?"

"X," he said calmly.

"He's terribly used to being recognized wherever he goes," Flurry said acidly. "He's a hero - where he comes from."

"But that wasn't the other one's name," Lynn murmured, puzzled.

"No - his name is Tourian," Flurry said quickly. "This - er - isn't him. Tourian's design was based on X. It's a little - complicated."

The woman nodded, finally having identified them. "In the forest. They're in the forest. I'll show you a map."

They followed her inside to a small living room. An armchair slumped in one corner, threadbare and tired-seeming. Next to it was a viewscreen, and Lynn marched directly over there and tapped up a map. "Here," she muttered, pointing to the scientists' location. "Go there quickly. Try not to make too much noise about it, either - Diane has eyes everywhere."

Flurry thanked her, clasping her hand in gratitude. "Will you come?" she asked, but Lynn shook her head.

"I can serve them and their purpose better if I stay put and live normally."

Flurry nodded in understanding, and X took her arm. "Let's go, already. If we hurry, maybe those robots won't be ready for us."

"Robots?" Lynn asked, startled. "What - oh, dear." She burst into helpless laughter, sinking into the conveniently located armchair. "Maelstrom - and Turbulence!" Her eyes danced as her laughter died. "Janus and Scott created them. As bodyguards, of a sort." She shook her head. "A little bit overprotective, but they're good."

Flurry stared at X. "You're telling us - that those two -"

"Were on our side?" X finished, face a little pale.

Flurry chuckled dizzily. "So much for that!"

"What on earth did you do to them?" Lynn demanded, a horrible premonition coming to her.

"Nothing," Flurry murmured, running her hand through her hair. "All we hurt was their dignity."

There was a pause, and Lynn started laughing again. X really didn't see what was so funny about it.

Several minutes later, X and Flurry were outside the house, somewhat bemused by the entire incident. "Well," X began, then thought better of it.

"What?" Flurry asked, not really wanting to know.

"I . . . guess we'd better round up Tourian and Zero . . . right?"

"Yeah. I suppose so."

\--

Tourian and Zero were, at that point, quite wrapped up in something else entirely.

Tourian dove for the ground, dodging another shot from the security system outside the Company. Zero ran the other way, and the two came to their feet, glaring at each other.

"This is all your fault!" Zero yowled, scrambling out of the way of another shot.

"Whaddya mean, my fault?" Tourian fired at the gun - missed.

"I mean, if you had kept your big mouth shut we could have snuck right past them!"

"Us and what army?" Tourian challenged, dancing away from the gun again. "They never let anyone past without the right I.D."

Zero snarled. "You didn't have to threaten the guard, stupid!" he yelled, swinging his saber out to block another shot.

The guard in question was watching the scene with what could have been amusement, if he hadn't been scared enough to wet his pants.

"This," announced Zero, breathing heavily in false exertion, "is the last time I work with you. Even Flurry wasn't this moronic."

The gun fired again, and Zero ran forward to get away from it - directly into Tourian's upraised fist. The red robot reeled back and tumbled to the ground. He sat up, groaning. "I really wish you people wouldn't do that." He rolled out of the way just in time to see the gun make a charred hole of where he'd been sitting.

Tourian glared at him. "Why don't we just get out of here?" He jumped another shot.

"Y'know - that's the best idea you've had all day."

With that, the pair scrambled away from one last shot and pounded up the street. The guard stared after them, stupefied.

Traffic on the streets was thin at this hour, and their passage didn't to much more than raise a great deal of dirt into the air. As they ran along, Tourian chanced to look up. "What the heck -?"

Zero glanced up. His jaw dropped, and he skidded to a halt. "They dragged it into town?" he exploded. "What kind of idiot!?" He stared. "I don't believe this. I refuse to believe this."

The Hawk was stomping its way toward them, having spied their flight from a distance.

As they approached, Tourian bellowed, "What do you think you're doing?"

The mech stopped, and Flurry retorted primly, "Finding Dr. Kreyin and Dr. Trene. You?" She crossed her arms and tossed her hair. "Let's see what you two have accomplished - other than chasing straight to a dead end and running away from an automated defense system."

Tourian started to swear.

"Watch your language!" Flurry snapped.

X was leaning his forehead in the palm of his hand, willing it all to be over.

"Um," Zero broke in, trying not to sound as burnt-out as he felt. "You said you know where your scientists wandered off to, right?"

"Yeah," X answered him, watching Flurry and Tourian shout at each other.

"I've got this . . . idea. Why don't we go find them - and leave these two here."

X grinned absently. "Not bad. I think muzzling them both ought to cover it, though."

"Oh, yeah," Flurry prepared her return volley of insults, "you -"

"SHUT UP!" X roared, rather loudly, in her ear.

She lurched away from him, eyes squeezed shut and hands clamped to either side of her head. "What was that for?" she asked, sounding subdued.

"Look," he muttered, "We know the location of the scientists. Let's go find them, and you can finish up later."

Flurry almost pouted, but she stopped herself. "Oh, all right."

Tourian shook his head, relieved to be out of the conversation. "Then let's go."

"Wait a minute!" Flurry objected.

They all turned to her, annoyed, and she returned their gazes petulantly. "Can't I get out of this thing?" she asked timidly.

X sighed. "Why don't I just tell it to go home?"

"What?"

"Here - watch." He tapped a couple of buttons, and to Flurry's utter astonishment, the mech dematerialized around them. Then, she realized she was falling. She shrieked, landing moments later on her bottom with a loud thump and a clank. X landed lightly beside her, looking amused. "Sorry about that."

Tourian couldn't contain a snicker, and Flurry chose to ignore him, getting up, dusting herself off, and stalking away down the street. Grinning drily, Tourian followed her, loading up his arsenal of snide remarks for when their squabble resumed. X and Zero looked at each other, pained, and followed the pair dejectedly.


	53. Reunion

Flurry crossed her arms, expression somewhat petulant, and blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Can we run or something?" she demanded impatiently. "It'll take forever to get there at this rate!"

Tourian cast her a sideways glance. "Oh, that'll look really good, Flurry. The four of us just take off running right in the middle of town - drawing the attention of every single security device Diane's got running!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, pulling a rather rude face. "Well, if you and Zero hadn't gotten stupid and followed Zephyr straight into the Company -"

"Look who's talking, Miss 'Crashed into a Residential Area,'" he retorted.

"Shut up!" she barked. "That wasn't my fault!"

"Who was driving?" he asked acidly.

"Have you seen how much space there is in there?" she growled.

"So?" he shot back. "You should have been paying attention!"

"You try paying attention when somebody's elbowing you in the ribs every time you twitch an inch in either direction!"

"You're just a lousy driver!"

"You've got a big mouth for somebody who doesn't know what he's talking about!"

X and Zero exchanged pained looks as the fight escalated. Flurry's voice rose an octave as they listened, and Tourian was on the verge of bellowing in her face, and they were both waving their arms in a very distracting manner. Zero absently turned his head, casually pretending that he simply happened to be going the same direction as they were. He heard a startling noise and turned back again.

Flurry was standing with her back to her 'brother,' arms crossed and chin tilted up in a superior manner. Tourian was staggering about with his hands to his head.

"Do I want to know?" he asked of X, who was staring at the two with the look of someone dealing with five-year-olds.

"No," X replied. "Absolutely, positively, categorically no."

Zero continued to look ahead, where Tourian had taken his helmet off and was groaning in pain with his hands to his head. Flurry smiled scornfully as she turned to face him, but she didn't say a word, walking on in the direction of the forest.

Tourian put his helmet back on, gritting his teeth. Zero walked up, asking casually, "What did she do to you?"

"Nothing."

"That's why you were staggering around like a drunk? Because she did nothing to you." He grinned in the most annoying way he knew how, and Tourian rewarded him with a glare.

"She bashed me over the head - satisfied?"

"Tourian, you're about a foot taller than her."

"She jumped!" Tourian yowled, shoving him away. "Go away!"

"Right, right." He walked on past Tourian, who was trying to figure out a way to get in touch with someone a little more sympathetic. "Nice trick," Zero announced to Flurry upon catching up.

"He had it coming," she said flatly. "Insult my driving? He's never even touched a stupid mech." She tossed her head, flinging her long hair into Zero's face. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. I'd kind of like to know where we're headed."

"The forest. Duh."

"I knew that." He yawned. "Specifics."

"What makes you think I'm telling you?"

Zero looked at her steadily. "Flurry, I'm not Tourian, and I'm not going to put up with your attitude."

Up in front of him, her head bowed slightly. "I'm sorry," she said contritely. "I'm just worried is all. I - Dr. Kreyin - oh, you know what I mean."

"Sure I do," he said generously, "but that really doesn't give you a reason to take it all out on me."

"Of course not," she said absently. "I don't really want to noise around where they're staying, though. Diane could -"

"Yeah," he agreed. What a mess, he thought. It was much simpler when I was just dealing with Sigma. Now I've got squabbling siblings, missing scientists, an enslaved world. He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Flurry turned to him with a tiny smile.

"I'm sorry. You do realize that this whole thing made a mess of our lives, too." She shoved her bangs out of her face, explaining. "Before we stole Zephyr, all we had to do was look out for Dr. Kreyin - make sure he was okay - and help around the lab. Look after the - Tourian! Where are the animals?"

Tourian blinked at her, still sour over their argument. "I dunno. Guess they took off."

Flurry glared at him. "Where could they go?"

"Maybe," he suggested flatly, "they're already found Doc and the others and - I don't know. They can take care of themselves."

Flurry looked momentarily doubtful, but she continued talking to Zero. "Then I got this brilliant idea that we could save the world," she laughed scornfully. "And look where it's landed us. On the run, out in the cold, in danger -"

"Can't say its boring," grinned Zero.

"No, I can't say that."

They were silent for a moment, and X walked up, dragging Tourian with him. "We'd better hurry," he said in an undertone. "Somebody saw your handiwork up at the Company."

Flurry turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"He means," Tourian growled, "that there's somebody following us."

\--

Juniper narrowed her eyes. They were bunched up in a small group now; perhaps they had seen her coming. She whistled to Vengeance, who nodded from across the street, and the two of them sprang neatly to the next alley.

\--

"Where are they?" Flurry's tone was hushed.

"Right behind us," X answered. "On either side of the street."

"Robots?" Zero asked.

"Robots," X confirmed.

\--

"They know," Joon muttered into her communicator. "Those aren't humans."

"Look at the armor," Vengeance snapped, "I could have told you that."

They had been training under Diane Holcomb's supervision when the front alarms went off. Vengeance had been suspicious when the guard on duty said they'd 'gotten away.' One didn't simply 'get away' from the front guns. Holcomb had sent the two out after their intruders.

"Where are they headed?" Juniper asked, deciding to ignore his comment.

"Looks like - Kreyin's lab." He looked up at her. "Let's report back. Diane didn't say anything about capture."

Juniper looked uncomfortable with his suggestion. "But -"

"No. We don't need to dent our armor just to prove we've accomplished something." The words sounded strange to Vengeance, especially coming from him. He shook his head. "Let's go back."

She nodded in agreement, casting the group one final, uncertain glance, and they warped away.

\--

"They're gone," Tourian announced.

"I don't like this," Flurry muttered, and the others quietly echoed her sentiments.

Zero cleared his throat. "I think it's really pointless to hang around here anymore." He took a step forward. "Let's run for it."

Flurry nodded. "For once," she said to them, "I almost wish we had those horrible bikes."

\--

"We have intruders approaching at high speed," Turb announced, tapping the intercom. "Should we move to intercept?"

Kreyin sat very still in the living room, staring at the three guests who had appeared on their doorstep only an hour earlier. He reached out to pat the dog again, as if unsure that it was real. "No - let them come." He looked up, tears filling his eyes. "I think I know who they are."

Scott smiled at him. "They did come back."

Maelstrom and Turbulence looked at each other uncomfortably. "I'm watching the front door," muttered the red-armored one.

"Yeah."

\--

Flurry blinked uncertainly, staring around at the silent forest. Her mouth compressed into a small frown as she considered what she'd seen so far. "Okay," she said to her companions, walking forward with her hands spread in confusion, "I've spotted two remote cams and six of what appear to be air cannons."

Tourian, leaning against a tree, tossed his helmet lazily into the air. "I spotted seven air cannons," he announced to no one in particular.

Flurry ignored him, continuing. "And from the positioning of the cannons, I imagine we should have been hit a couple of times on our way - if they were operational."

Zero nodded slowly from where he sat on a boulder. "Then they know we're coming."

X looked uncomfortable, scuffing the toe of his boot through the dirt. "I don't know if that's good or bad, Zero," he muttered. "Those two 'bots they have - well, we didn't exactly get off on the right foot."

"'Didn't exactly?'" Zero said flatly.

"We sorta blasted at 'em."

"'Sorta.'"

"Ripped up a pretty good bit of forest."

Zero sank his face in his hands. A moment later, he looked up, weary resignation on his face. "I'm not going to like the answer to this," he decided, "but I'll ask anyway. Why?"

A long pause. X looked at Flurry for support, and she burst out, "They attacked us first!"

Zero looked at his long-time partner, who met his gaze a little guiltily. "We should have looked before we shot, I know," X muttered.

Flurry glared at Zero. "Oh, look who's chewing us out about self-control!"

Zero opened his mouth to respond, but decided that the conversation would get him nowhere. "Drop it," he muttered.

Tourian glanced around boredly. "Well, we've got to get there, one way or another - so let's go, all right?"

He started off through the woods, and Flurry, looking pointedly at the others, followed him. Zero and X brought up the rear in their grave procession, tracking uncertainly in the direction they knew must be correct. Perhaps fifteen minutes later, Tourian hissed sharply. "There - a house!"

Flurry darted up beside him, eyes wide. "That's it!" she said triumphantly. "It's got to be!" Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. "X!" she growled. "Get over here and look."

The robot walked behind her. "What?"

"Are those the ones?" she asked, pointing to a pair of figures wandering casually around the house. "The ones who attacked us?"

His expression darkened slightly. "Yup."

\--

Turbulence cast a casual glance out at the trees bordering their home. "There they are," he muttered as Maelstrom walked past.

The other paused, brushing his black hair out of his eyes. "Yeah." He walked on, pretending to inspect the window. "I wish they'd hurry up and get this over with."

Turb yawned. They were in street clothes again, slouching about and keeping an eye on their visitors, despite Kreyin's assurances that they were friends. Nobody who shot at him could be entirely friendly. Turb felt he owed them a little something for the incident in the forest. He smiled thinly, his blonde hair shading the dark expression in his eyes.

\--

"What do you suppose they're going to do?" Flurry asked softly, gaze locked on the two robots guarding the house.

X shook his head. "I don't want to fight them," he answered her, "But they might -"

"Hey, why not?" Zero interrupted drily. "Give 'em a good thrashing and they just might not bug us anymore."

Tourian glared at him. "A little bloodthirsty today, Zero? They're on our side."

Zero leaned back, rolling his eyes. A straight fight was so much easier than all this dancing around. Flurry tossed her head at him, and he lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well," she said, shrugging, "I'm going up there."

She strode out into the open, ignoring Tourian's strangled cry. Zero and X turned to him incredulously, and he shrugged, grimacing. He cast a glance up at her and saw her toss her hair confidently over one shoulder.

"She's a pretty girl," he offered lamely. "Maybe they won't attack her."

Zero glared at him. "She's a pretty girl with a bad attitude," he retorted, eyes shifting to the 'pretty girl' in question, "Maybe she won't attack them."

Flurry's step was easy - almost too easy. The pair of robots on the porch positioned themselves on either side of the door, smiling coolly. She kept on walking, eyes boring into them, each in turn. Then, as she was halfway across the lawn, the blonde one stepped out in front of her.

"Hold it," he grinned sardonically, holding his hand out, "I'll need to see some I.D."

Eyes cold, she slapped his hand negligently out of the way. "My name is Flurry."

His eyes widened briefly, immediately narrowing again. "Anybody can say that."

A heavy hush fell over everything. The game was begun, and the challenge had been issued. Tourian's eyes bugged, and a strangled noise rose in his throat. "She's gonna kill him," he managed.

Zero crouched down against a tree with his back to them and his hands tiredly over his eyes. "I don't want to know."

X's eyes were glued to the confrontation, and as the silence continued, he made to walk out there with them. Tourian flashed him a look, shaking his head, and he sank back, gritting his teeth.

"Listen, bud," Flurry said hotly, "Bring Dr. Kreyin out here - he'll know us. Even if you're too dumb to run an identity check."

Turb glared at her, and Maelstrom concealed a faint smile. "She has teeth," the black-haired one murmured.

"And she's cute, too," Turb smirked, trying a different tack. His grin broadened when he saw Flurry bristle. "Mm-hm. Ve-e-ery cute."

Flurry's fists clenched. "Were hormones all that got programmed into you?" she asked acidly, contempt dripping from her voice.

Turb, sensing a possible victory, refused to be annoyed with her. "Matter of fact," he grinned, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her head up as if he hadn't heard a word, "I'd ask her out - if she wasn't already taken."

Flurry's mouth tightened, meeting Turb's blue-eyed gaze with dark ice. Maelstrom tensed, waiting for her to make a move. Before she could, however, Turbulence released her with a jerk and turned his back to her, tossing a lazy glance over his shoulder. Maelstrom shook his head. It was wearing very thin.

Tourian stared. "Either he's irrationally brave or very, very stupid." He shook his head, glancing at Zero. "Nobody does that to Flurry - unless they're running distance away."

Zero grunted sourly, remembering the incident at the hospital. X grinned at him, still watching the scene.

"Tell me," Turb called drily over his shoulder, "which one is it? The one who was with you in the mech?" His eyebrows arched suggestively. "Close quarters in there."

"Hey!" X said sharply, and nearly burst from his concealment and explained the situation to the mocking robot - in his own terms. Tourian barely managed to hold him back.

Flurry wasn't saying a word. Her head was bowed, fists clenched so tightly they were trembling. Turbulence truly had no idea how much danger he was putting himself in.

"Or is it one of the others? The one in red armor? You seem to like him well enough."

She tilted her head up fractionally, but Turb didn't notice the look of murder in her eyes.

"A nod?" He laughed heartily. "Was that a nod?"

Zero groaned aloud. "Why me? Why is it always me?"

"Well," Turbulence continued, "I suppose it could be the other - you two do fight like you're married."

Tourian glared. "That was your last mistake, smartmouth," he muttered softly, and rightly so.

That final statement had torn it all for Flurry. She dropped into a fighting crouch, but Turb, facing the other direction, failed to notice. Maelstrom lifted his hand sharply as the robot started talking again, but he didn't pay any attention to the warning.

"Or maybe I could hook you up with Maelstr - ungh!"

With a feral scream, Flurry had launched herself forward, smashing Turb to the ground. He was on his feet again in an instant, but she was faster, falling on him with blow after blow to the chest and midriff. For her final attack, she brought her fist up and caught him square on the chin. He rocked backwards, tumbling through the open doorway of the lab with a yell and a thunk. Flurry stood scornfully still, fist still raised as she had punched him. Without moving at all, she called to the others.

"X, Zero, Tourian, come out now." She fold her arms coldly. "He won't be bothering us."

Maelstrom shrugged easily at her challenging look. "He is an idiot."

Turbulence was getting woozily to his feet. "She packs a mean punch, Mael-man." He walked over to her, extending a hand. She glared suspiciously, but took it. Shaking her hand, he said gravely, "I don't normally hit girls, but you don't count." A smirk tilted his lips, and Flurry had no chance to jerk away when he brought his other hand around and punched her. Releasing her hand, he let her spin from the impact and caught her shoulders from behind. That done, he kicked her solidly in the rear.

She went sprawling.

Tourian and Zero and X stopped in midstep from where they were walking, and Tourian's jaw went slack. Nobody had ever hit Flurry back before.

The silence was deadly as Flurry lifted her dirt-smudged face from the ground and staggered to her feet.

"Hoo boy," muttered Zero.

She took a halting step forward, mouth fixed in a smile of deeply enraged amusement. "That," she breathed, "was not the most intelligent move . . . of your . . . career." Her hands balled into fists, and Turbulence got ready for another round of fighting.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Flurry stared at the doorway, hands dropping limply to her sides. "Doc - Dr. Kreyin?"

Her creator stood there, glaring at her in what she categorized as deep disappointment. "Flurry, I had thought better of you."

Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"Tourian!" the man said sharply, pushing past a completely baffled Turbulence. "Why didn't you stop her? You should know better!"

Tourian backed away. "I - I, er -"

But Kreyin had already moved on. "And you, Maelstrom? You usually have sense enough to cut things short!" The robot didn't manage to stammer a reply before the scientist was hammering at Turb. "Of all the immature, juvenile - infantile! - things to do!" he bellowed at him. "You - you -"

He stopped, shoulders slumping exhaustedly.

The robots, except X and Zero, looked away from each other guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Kreyin," Flurry whispered, tilting her eyes up to meet the scientist's as he turned. "I didn't mean to."

His gaze was profoundly skeptical, but forgiving. "Never mind that," he said finally. "Come inside. I have the feeling," he laughed, "that we have a great many things to talk about."


	54. Dark Alliance

Turbulence stared in wonder at the four robots who had so rudely disrupted his simple life. They were all seated in the living room, Flurry next to the scientists on the couch, the other three in chairs around the room. He and Maelstrom sat next to each other on the floor. Flurry was talking animatedly to Kreyin, explaining their adventures since the first time they'd disappeared in Zephyr. Tourian and the other two occasionally interjected with comments and corrections of their own. Their story was frankly amazing to him, and he felt himself drawn to listening, despite his instinctive distrust of them all. Maelstrom appeared to be equally absorbed.

Kreyin was gazing at them all, eyes brimming with tears even as Flurry related their story. He frowned when she spoke of Zephyr's initial malfunction, the buffers, and he looked stricken as she told of her encounter with Neon Tiger. It seemed to affect the man deeply, and he took Flurry's hand in his. Tourian looked pained, meeting his horrified gaze. Then, his eyes dropped to the floor, guilt surging into him afresh. X looked slightly disappointed in himself as well. As the story went on, Kreyin shook off his horror and gazed at X and Zero with a deep-rooted respect. It took much of the afternoon to tell the tale, and evening shadows lengthened as it drew to a close.

Her hand, until then held firmly in Kreyin's fell into her lap, and she gave a sad little smile. "That's all there is," she offered, then her smile grew brighter. "Now, it's your turn."

At that point, Turb spoke up. "Shouldn't you guys eat dinner first?" he asked of the scientists, who turned to him in surprise.

Scott put a hand to his stomach, which had rumbled suddenly. He laughed. "Come to think of it, I am a little hungry."

Kreyin nodded. "We haven't eaten since breakfast," he agreed. "We can talk after we eat. Why don't you go down to the lab for a quick recharge?" He nodded to Maelstrom. "He'll show you where."

The four rose, and Turbulence walked into the kitchen, calling, "What do you want tonight? Steak, stir-fry, or vegetarian pizza?"

Flurry turned to Maelstrom, amusement coloring her face. "He cooks?" she asked.

He nodded briskly, waving them in the direction of the lab. "Rather well, according to the scientists," he said.

She shrugged, and the four followed him to the basement area, where he pointed to a port in the wall. "You'll have to take turns," he said shortly, clearly still uncomfortable around them.

"You first, Flurry," X said politely.

She wrinkled her nose at him, his attempt at gallantry annoying her, but she didn't say a word. She plugged into the port without a sound, leaving the others to talk amongst themselves.

Zero glanced about boredly until he caught sight of the motorbike that Maelstrom had constructed. He whistled softly. "Nice bike," he said admiringly.

Maelstrom smiled proudly. "Yes," he agreed.

X paced around it, eyes curious. "Did you make it yourself?" he inquired, running his fingers gently over the seat.

"Yes," Maelstrom replied even more proudly.

The exchange of admiration for pride went on for some time, until Flurry pulled out of the charging unit and gazed at them all with something bordering on amusement.

"Men are all alike!" she laughed at them, and they stared at her as she left the room.

After she had gone, Zero volunteered to take the next turn. "You guys can look at that bike all you want. Personally, I miss mine."

X shrugged. "You'd miss it even if we were back in our time," he grinned. "It's slag about now, wouldn't you say?"

\--

Flurry smiled as she heard the exchange, walking up to the living room. She saw nothing to do in there, and curiosity drew her to the kitchen, where she heard distinctly the sounds of bustling - and cooking. She walked in just in time to hear Turbulence burst into rowdy song, happily slinging a stir-fry dish about in a pan. Smiling faintly, she leaned against the doorframe, and he sang on, not noticing her.

After a moment, she cleared her throat, and he stopped in midword, eyes shifting curiously to her. Suddenly self-conscious, he made a rough noise in the back of his throat and mumbled something disparaging about singing clearing up his sinuses.

Flurry couldn't help it. She burst into gales of helpless laughter.

He turned to her, offended, and gave the stir-fry an insolent flip. "Like to see you do better," he groused.

She waved a placating hand, still giggling, and she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she managed, eyes dancing. "I just needed a good laugh."

She yawned, stretching, and a silence fell over them.

Turb added something to the stir-fry and asked, "So, you've been around Doc for a long time, huh?" He very determinedly refused to look at her.

She shrugged, gaze drifting to the floor. "For about seven years," she muttered. "Ten years after Anna died, and one before the Third Discovery."

"I suppose you mean a lot to him, huh?" He seemed to have found something utterly fascinating in the mixture of vegetables and chicken and stared at it steadfastly.

"I suppose, a little." She played with a lock of her hair. "He's awfully protective sometimes."

"Look," he said earnestly, finally looking at her, as he set the pan down on a hotpad. "I didn't mean anything I said this afternoon, okay?" He started dishing the food onto a couple of plates.

Flurry blinked. "Is that what this is all about?" she asked. "You think I'm going to set him against you?"

"Well," he said defensively, "you might!"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't do that. You may be an egocentric jerk, but that's no reason to turn your creator against you." With that, she breezed from the kitchen, leaving Turb to howl objections after her.

"I'm not a jerk!" he bellowed. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I beg your pardon?" Maelstrom sounded astonished.

"Nothin'," Turb growled. "Where're the others?"

"The basement," his counterpart shrugged, "They can take care of themselves."

Turbulence thrust the plates at him. "Here, you take these to Dr. Kreyin and Dr. Trene." He pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I've got a couple of things to straighten out with a certain female robot."

\--

It was a struggle to restrain himself during the download. So much space, so much power, and so, so close. Faster, he thought fretfully. You fools, faster! He bided his time; they would get to him eventually. And then their fates would be sealed. The sound of humans talking to each other was muffled for the simple reason that one of them was seated on the console, directly on top of the mechanism that received spoken commands. He didn't seem to realize it.

"There's . . . the relays. I can't . . ."

"Well, I don't . . . problem."

"I'm not . . ."

"Oh, plug it . . . the connector."

He would have restrained a gasp, had he been capable of either action. Like light pouring into a dark tunnel, a path opened before him, leading directly into the computer system.

"I still don't think . . ." he heard vaguely.

"Shut up or . . . so hard you'll . . ."

Without hesitation, he dove for the open path, flowing along like so much useless data. Yes, useless. Once I have gained control, you will have no more needs, humans. The Company's computer opened all around him, a vast, unexplored wasteland, waiting to be conquered. He slipped in and made himself at home.

He slithered unnoticed past security systems, protected programs, and his consciousness grew with his new knowledge. He found himself growing more powerful than he had been before his - destruction. Yes. Destruction. Memories long crushed to near nothingness blossomed out again, and he remembered everything, bit by bit. Fierce battles, hard-earned victories, a long war, and an even longer hatred. Expanding into the computers was a thrill almost beyond any he had ever experienced. And as his abilities became more and more pronounced, he began to take steps to obliterate any useless data from his new home.

\--

"Hey!" the girl yelped, leaning forward and tapping insistently at her keyboard. "What?"

A young man, seated next to her on another computer, tilted his head curiously. "What's wrong with you, Ashlei?"

She turned her head, still pecking vainly at the keyboard. "It just deleted my file!"

"It what?" His tone was profoundly skeptical.

"You heard me, Thomas!" Hers was just as profoundly furious.

"Yeah, yeah." He stood up and walked over to her, leaning down to look at the screen. "So start over," was all he offered in support. "You probably just screwed it up yourself."

"Are you kidding? It took me months to write that code!"

He laughed at her. "That's your problem," he snorted, sitting down at his own computer again. After a moment, he yelled. "What the he -" He hammered a few keys on the keyboard. "It didn't just erase that file, man - it erased the whole program!"

Ashlei went very, very pale. "What do you mean?"

"God - there goes another." Thomas' eyes were riveted to his screen.

"Spill it!" she growled, getting up to see for herself.

He pointed wordlessly at the screen, where, one by one, the computer's systems were being obliterated.

\--

Yes . . . yes, that was much better. He expanded into the memory, feeling as if a new life were being breathed into him. He retained some of the information he had just destroyed, for future reference, and then decided to make sure those meddlesome humans couldn't fiddle with anything.

\--

Ray Lawrence stared at his computer screen. He had just been locked out of everything. He couldn't even reboot. And he couldn't just pull the plug on every system they had. It was unthinkable.

"Mister Lawrence, sir," stammered a subordinate. "It - it just -"

"I know." And Ray turned several shades paler.

\--

Juniper watched her creator storm wrathfully back and forth across the room. Diane was fuming. After smashing through a wall and causing several million dollars in damages, the machine had let some kind of virus into the computer, and it was destroying everything in sight. Or rather - remaking everything to suit its purpose. They were completely locked out of the computer, and Diane absolutely refused to risk her robotic warriors by plugging them into the thing.

"I should have known!" she shrieked, throwing her arms up in the air. "It couldn't be that simple! The wouldn't just let it fall into my hands!" She shook her fists in the air. "An invasive program - to cripple my work here and attack!"

Juniper let her rant on for a time before offering up her own explanation. "Perhaps they didn't know."

"Didn't know?" Diane turned on her. "Didn't know?"

"Yeah," Vengeance put in nastily. "What are you, stupid? How else could this have happened?"

"Perhaps," Joon replied in a carefully controlled voice, "this same virus took over their ship and came here."

Vengeance snarled furiously, but he could find nothing wrong with her explanation - except one thing. "How did it know to come here?"

"With information from the machine's databanks," she countered smugly.

"Then why?" he sputtered, temper mounting.

"Our computers are the best on the planet, obviously," she replied coolly.

He was about to respond, when Mrs. Holcomb screamed at them both, "Get OUT of here! Both of you! I can't concentrate with all that noise!"

Vengeance and Juniper rose uncertainly and shuffled out the door. Once outside, they proceeded to assign blame.

"This is all your fault," Vengeance grumbled.

"Spare me your whining attitude, Vinnie," she answered coldly. "If you hadn't lost your temper, we'd still be in there."

Eventually, their argument fell to blows, and they fought madly in the middle of the hall. The workers very quietly stayed out of their way.

\--

He stared in amazement. Robots? Deferring to a human? His consciousness quivered with uncontrollable rage. Something must be done about this.

\--

Diane screamed. She raged. She hurled heavy objects at the unresponsive computer panel. She screamed some more. Once her anger had been exhausted, she settled heavily into a chair and glared at the console in smoky hatred. After a long moment, she sat up.

"Do something!" she screamed in a final effort.

A green light flickered onto the computer screen, a blinking cursor in the blackness.

She stared for a moment, dumbfounded. "What's going on?" she demanded, without thinking.

To her astonishment, words formed. That's very simple, they read. I've taken over your computer system.

Diane blinked. "Why?" her voice rang out harshly.

I have need of it.

"That's no reason," she breathed, leaning forward. "Are you working with the others - with Kreyin and his cronies?"

Of course not. I do not bend to the will of my enemies.

"Enemies," she purred. "Then we're on the same side."

She felt the sensation of a short laugh. Don't jump to conclusions.

There was a pause as Diane tried to assess her situation and how to handle her invasive little friend. Before she could speak, however, the words went on.

I believe that we can be of some use to each other.

She smiled warmly at the green letters. "Yes, I believe we can."

Those who own the machine must be destroyed.

"Yes."

I can help you destroy them . . . for a price.

"Do tell."

Not now, was the cold response. In time, we will discuss our business arrangement. For now, tell your people to return to work. I will stay in the main computer. The flickering light began to fade from the screen.

"Wait!" Holcomb commanded suddenly.

The light solidified.

"Who are you?"

A long pause, and for a moment, Diane worried that he might not answer. But then, slowly, five letters blinked onto the screen.

SIGMA

And then it was gone.

\--

He restored the computer systems to the baffled workers, grim in his anger. A delay, yet another delay! But not a large one. In time, perhaps, the humans would be useful.

And still squabbling in the hallway were the beginning of his new army.

Yes. Delays were to be expected.

But he was nothing if not adaptable.

Patience. Only I know the true meaning of the word.

Sigma permitted himself a smile.

And now, after all this time, the endless waiting would pay off.

\--

Inside the lab, Scott and Janus were entertaining Flurry and Tourian with the tale of their own adventures. Light, laughter, and the occasional tear passed by in that place, but not everyone saw fit to pass the evening by in that fashion. Not Zero. He sat on the front porch steps, elbows resting on his knees, chin resting in his hands.

He heard the door creak open behind him and turned to see X walk out. His armor gleamed in the darkness. Despite the invitations of Kreyin and the rest, the two Hunters hadn't seen fit to don street clothes. It seemed somehow unnatural.

"What's happening?" X asked drily, seating himself next to his long-time friend.

"Nothin' much," Zero answered, returning his gaze to the woods.

"You upset about something?" his friend asked, concerned. "You usually like a good story as much as any of us."

The blond Reploid shifted, quietly unnerved by the question. "I just wanted to be alone for a while," he lied. He actually had no idea why he'd come outside in the first place.

Shrugging the whole thing off, X got to his feet again. "I guess I'll head back inside." He slapped his companion's shoulder as he walked away. "Don't worry too much, okay?" He grinned lamely as Zero met his gaze. "That's my job." He went back inside.

Out on the porch, night had fallen, and the starlight glinted in Zero's eyes as he gazed emptily out over the forest.

Something was very, very wrong.


	55. Sibling Rivalry

Muttering darkly, Turbulence darted around behind a tree, waiting for Flurry's figure to recede in the distance. Kreyin had sent her looking for him - again. He had developed that rather annoying habit only days after his first 'children' had returned, clearly in hopes that they would get to know each other better - maybe even stop hating each other. He snorted to himself. Not likely.

"Turbulence!" she called, voice loud as it rang in his ear, and he spun guiltily to face her.

He grinned sheepishly, but she brushed him aside. "I don't like this any better than you, Turb," she said darkly, "but you ought to come - if nothing else because Dr. Kreyin needs your help."

"I know," he grumbled. "But why does he send you out? He knows I hate you." He immediately wished the words back, looking nervously at Flurry.

She had turned away from him, though, and was started back to the path. "Well, like me or not, you'd better get back inside."

He tilted his head curiously. Maybe I hurt her feelings.

Then she spun, eyes flashing. "And just so you know - the feeling's mutual!" With those angry words, she was off down the path in a flash, hair waving wildly behind her.

"That was unnecessary."

Turb, startled for the second time that day, turned to face his own brother with a yelp. "What? What was unnecessary?" he demanded, glaring at the slightly shorter robot. "What was I supposed to do?"

Maelstrom lifted an eyebrow, and a bit of his black hair fell down in front of his eyes as he shook his head. At this point, he knew, his companion would not understand. He turned and walked down the path, following Flurry.

Turbulence glared after him. Even Maelstrom had changed since their arrival. He'd never understand it. Feeling slightly betrayed, he walked up to the lab, blue eyes turned inward in a search for answers.

\--

Flurry lashed out at an unoffending bush, scattering leaves over the forest floor. Frustrated, she punched at a tree, ripping bark free with her fist. Allowing a low cry of rage to escape her, she continued her barrage of kicks and punches, punctuating each with a snarl, snap or scream. She didn't notice a red-armored robot walk up until he spoke.

"What?" She spun, fists clenched, to meet his brown-eyed gaze, and her hands dropped. "Sorry, Maelstrom."

"I came to apologize for Turbulence's behavior," Maelstrom said without preamble. "And offer a reason for it. You and the others - well . . ." He looked uncomfortable. "We feel displaced, Flurry," he explained, eyes searching for some hint of understanding in her. "We were created because you disappeared, and your return has . . . upset the balance of things."

Flurry sank to the ground, sighing heavily. "You think we're here to replace you?" She couldn't help feeling a little stunned. "But . . . we're not."

Maelstrom nodded gravely. "I know that - even Turb knows that."

Flurry took her saber out, turning it over in her hands. Her vision blurred, but she shook the unnatural tears away. "Things will never be the same again," she said softly.

"No." He turned to go. "They will not."

She watched him leave, igniting the saber and glaring hatefully at the glowing blade. Then, in one smooth motion, she rose to her feet and walked off to find Zero. The Reploid and his partner had been making themselves scarce lately, and she was determined to find out what she could do to bring everyone together.

She found him alone up in the branch of a tree, by all appearances snoozing. "Zero!" she called.

"What?" he mumbled sleepily. "Whatcha want?"

"Zero, I need to talk to you!"

He lifted his head, glaring at her blearily. "What about?"

She gestured for him to come down.

He made a rude face at her.

Her mouth tightened angrily, but she suddenly bowed her head, looking downcast. He stared at her, knowing exactly what she was about to do but completely unable to stop her. When she looked up at him again, her dark eyes were filled with an intense, quiet pain that struck him to his soul. I hate it when she does that.

He jumped out of the tree, feeling surly. "What is it?" he demanded.

Her face immediately brightened to one of triumph. "It's about Turbulence and Maelstrom," she said calmly. "They're feeling awful, and I was wondering -"

"No."

Her expression became astonished. "What?"

"I said, no!" His face grew stubborn. "I'm not going to go give them a little pep talk." He waved off her objections, eyes glinting. "You know as well as I do that it wouldn't work!"

Her eyes took on a familiar look of pig-headedness. "But you can probably identify with them better!" she shouted.

"Not even!" was the response. "We weren't replaced, Flurry - we were supposed to have died!" He had found that throwing that fact in her face won him more arguments than any other tactic he'd tried, and it looked as if it was going to work yet again.

Her face grew incredibly hurt, and he set his jaw, turning his head away. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her raise her fist. He caught it in his hand as it came hurtling toward his face, and he tightened his grip on her when she tried to yank back. "Flurry," he said to her, holding grimly still as she struggled to free herself, "you'll have to settle this problem for yourself." He released her, and she stumbled back, flexing her hand when she caught her balance. "I'm not here to solve your problems for you."

She slumped, this time genuinely downcast. "I guess you're right," she muttered, turning to walk away.

Startled, he lifted his hand. "Flurry - hang on a sec -"

But she didn't turn, hand flipping back at him absently. "No, nevermind, Zero. It's my problem. I have to deal with it on my own."

He stared after her unbelievingly as she walked away. He didn't like this - not a bit. When she had gone, he called out, "X! Get over here."

The blue robot sprang from a nearby tree, green eyes dark with concern. "That doesn't seem like her," he said immediately. "This is a mess, Zero. If this group is ever gonna pull together as a team, they'll need us, too."

Zero started to object, but X shook his head.

"No way, buddy. We've come too far into this."

Zero nodded glumly. "We can't ever go home again," he remarked. "So this is all we've got."

\--

As Flurry entered the house, she saw Turbulence pleading with Maelstrom and the other robot shaking his head in flat refusal. Tourian leaned against the couch, eyes flickering with annoyance.

"Come on!" Turb howled. "She wouldn't mind if you came instead of her!"

Maelstrom snarled, lashing out at his brother. "It was by Dr. Kreyin's order that she's to accompany you!" he roared as Turb reeled from the blow. "You're an idiot if you think I'm going to disobey him."

Flurry stopped in the doorway, cut to the quick. Why does he have to hate me so much?

Turb was on his feet again, fists clenched and, astonishingly, tears streaming down his face. "So they've got you, too, huh?" he managed, voice shaking. "My own brother's turned against me!"

Maelstrom flashed a horrified look to Flurry, who clamped her hands over her mouth.

"NO!" the red robot gasped. "I - I wouldn't - I couldn't!"

"Turbulence!" Flurry cried out, "He'd never betray you! How can you say that?"

He grinned sardonically at her. "What do you care, anyway?" He dashed tears angrily from his eyes, furious to see his hand wet. "If you hadn't come back, nothing would have changed!"

Her eyes went wide, and Tourian stood up straight, startled. "Turb, we'd never dream of replacing -"

"LIAR!"

At that moment, Kreyin and his fellow scientist walked into the room. "What?" Scott stammered. "What's going on?"

Turbulence whirled and caught sight of them. His bitter gaze astonished Kreyin, who reached out a hand. "What is going on here?" he asked, in a voice of quiet authority.

Turb seemed to realize the nature of the situation, and his face grew anguished. "I can't stay here!" he shouted finally. "I don't - I'm not - nobody wants me here!"

"Wha -?" Scott said.

But the robot was already headed for the door. Flurry was thrust rudely aside, and she tumbled into X's arms as he walked up behind her. She scrambled to her feet, running after him. "Turbulence! Wait!"

Zero growled. "I'd better go after them."

X nodded mutely, and the Hunter darted away.

\--

Turbulence didn't realize where he was running until he came to a stop in front of a convenience store near the outskirts of town. He had stopped crying some time before, and, being a robot, there was no sign of the emotional outburst in his face. None of the red-eyed, runny-nosed weeping that humans were afflicted with. Groceries. He shook his head dazedly. He even had the money for them.

Without thinking, he walked into the store and started gathering them up in a cart to purchase. As he reached the cash register, he remembered that he'd run away.

The girl at the register totaled up the groceries without a word until she gave him the total. "That'll be 376.58," she said, holding her hand out absently. She looked to where the food was piled at the end of the register, and her mouth formed a frown. "David! Get out here!" She turned to the back room, hands on her hips. "You're supposed to be sacking!" She blinked as Turb held out four hundred even. "And bring some change with you!"

David stalked from the back room, glaring at her. "One thing at a time, will you?"

"I need change!" she said imperiously.

"I'll tell you what else you need, Ruthann," he growled at her.

"Just go get the change," Ruthann retorted, losing patience.

The young man stalked out again, returning with a number of bills and a couple rolls of coins, which the girl proceeded to stuff in the cash register. "Your change is 23.42," she announced cheerfully, handing him the money. Then she turned to David. "Now, get sacking!" she ordered.

When he was finished, Ruthann gazed at the groceries in surprise. "How on earth are you going to get those home?" she demanded.

Turbulence stared at her in astonishment. Then, he stared at the bags. "I -"

"I'm helping him," came a familiar voice from the store doorway.

He turned, stunned to see Flurry there. "I -"

"Don't worry," she said quietly. "I'm only here to help."

His eyes grew pained, and he watched her take some of the sacks into her arms. "I must have looked . . . pretty stupid today," he offered uncertainly, shame flushing his cheeks.

She waited for him to scoop up the remaining bags and started out the door. "No," she answered. "It was all completely understandable. When we get home, all of us are going to have a talk."

The door swung shut, and Ruthann leaned forward on her elbows, eyes dreamy. "Oh, how sweet," she sighed.

"Puh-lease," David muttered, getting back to work.

\--

Zero saw the two of them headed back his way long before they noticed him. They seemed to be conversing quite normally, as a set of siblings who'd just had a stupid fight would. Flurry laughed softly, fumbling with the bags she carried, and Zero stepped from the trees.

"Here," he said to them. "Lemme help with those."

Each unloaded a part of their burden into his arms, and they continued to the house in that fashion.

\--

Sigma was getting restless. Several weeks had passed, and he was still trying to convince that human to make more robots. She was much more mulish than he'd imagined her. Apparently, she had learned from the disaster with her Reploids - unlike Cain and the others.

They will be a great asset, he explained patiently, but she shook her head again.

"There'd be panic in the streets if I started producing those killer robots again!" Diane retorted. "I have enough trouble controlling these people without them made mindless with fear!"

What about the two you've already created?

She snarled. "I built them with my own two hands - I can ensure their loyalty! I'm not fool enough to start an assembly line again!"

Vengeance and Juniper were listening interestedly from the other side of the room, each wondering what the two forces that seemingly controlled their lives would do. The room grew stuffy as the contest of wills continued, tension draining everything except the two opposing forces of energy. Juniper's eyes flickered to the computer screen. She did not trust the entity there, though she would obey him if ordered. Vengeance leaned on his elbows, watching a spot on the wall.

The we will build them one by one, offered the computer screen, thus ensuring their loyalty - and the slow speed of their production will keep the people completely unaware.

"NO!" Diane fairly screamed. "I've told you those robots are too dangerous!"

The computer screen remained blank for a long, angry moment. "You," a sudden voice said coldly, "are a fool."

Vengeance rocked to his feet, fists clenched, and Juniper rose beside him, eyes darting wildly in search of a source. Diane stumbled back, trembling. "Who -" she stammered. "What?"

"The same one you've been talking to," the voice snarled disgustedly. "I put my voice through to the room's speakers."

Joon and Vengeance sat down again, still tense.

Diane sank into her chair, hand wearily to her forehead. "I destroyed the factories," she said softly, "so it doesn't really matter. All I want -" Her eyes grew flinty. "I already have the world - it has stopped struggling in my grasp. All I want is to eliminate those who oppose me."

Sigma was silent. "That is a beginning," he said slowly.

Diane's eyes went to the computer screen, having nothing else to focus on, dark with an uncertain emotion. "All those who oppose me."

"Yes," Sigma agreed easily, seeming to have put the issue of Reploids, as he knew them, behind him. "But who are those who oppose you? How can they be destroyed?"

Juniper and Vengeance looked at each other uneasily. Their creator was being manipulated; a blind man could tell that. And they could do nothing to stop it - at least, nothing that wouldn't rouse the suspicions of the Sigma entity and lose Mrs. Holcomb's trust.

Gold eyes met grey.

Heads nodded fractionally.

They would have to discuss the situation away from Sigma's prying eyes. His voice followed them wherever they went; he had infiltrated the entire computer system. And when he spoke . . . his messages were disturbing.

"Kreyin," they heard Diane mutter, and their heads swung to her. She was low in her chair, and anger was swelling in her voice. "Trene. Maelstrom. Turbulence." She looked up, eyes seeming momentarily confused. "Tourian -"

She stopped when Sigma hissed sharply.

"Flurry," she continued, "and two others."

"I know them," he growled. The hate in his voice was unmistakable.

\--

Turbulence was firmly convinced that he was right. There would be no persuading him that there was another course of action to take. He didn't have much to pack, didn't need much; just his skateboard and he'd be on his way. He had all his arguments carefully planned, certain that the others couldn't fail to see things from his point of view.

But his every argument blew up in his face against the stern opposition of his creators and his counterpart, not to mention the staunch refusals of those he'd only known for a few weeks.

"I - I can't stay!" he cried, dismayed.

Flurry's voice was quiet, but firm. "You have to stay, you idiot," she said. "A team can't function properly without all its members."

"Face it, Turb," Tourian said drily, "You're one of us."

His eyes grew frustrated, and he appealed to X and Zero. "Don't you guys understand? If I stay, someone - I could -"

X shook his head in disagreement. "Nope," he said. "I don't think you'd do us any more good gone than here."

Zero met his eyes stubbornly. "It isn't easy out on your own, Turb," he said bluntly. "I wouldn't recommend it."

His eyes darkened, and he turned to Maelstrom. "Maelstrom," he said desperately, but his counterpart shook his head without saying a word.

"Turbulence," Kreyin said softly, aching at the thought of his creation deserting him, "you must listen. There's nothing wrong with you."

"But -"

"Turb," Flurry said softly, "I can't say I understand what's wrong . . . but -" Her eyes grew flinty. "Even if I have to tie you up and gag you, you're staying here." She lifted an eyebrow, giving him a look that made him feel as if she was gazing straight to the core of his soul.

His shoulders slumped, and he gave up. If I can't explain it to you, I'll have to take matters into my own hands.

\--

It was very quiet as the darkness of night fell over the lab, the hush broken once by the sound of footsteps headed toward the lab. Only Flurry stirred from her semi-conscious state, the others in the room having shut down completely where they slumped in the living room, for lack of space anywhere else. She lifted her dark eyes to see a familiar silhouette look at them all once before turning away. She got up, careful not to disturb her brother, who slept with is arm around her shoulders. He stirred once, yawning, and promptly rolled over and settled back to sleep. X and Zero had gone out on patrol.

What she didn't notice was the silent figure that slipped from the back of the room after her as she followed the other to the lab.

Entering, she saw exactly what she expected to see. "Turbulence," she said flatly, and he spun sharply, hurt and startlement showing plainly in his face.

"Flurry, you don't understand."

"You're right," she answered coldly. "You're running from your problems - and I know from experience that the only way to defeat them is to confront them."

"It won't work," he muttered sullenly. "If I stay here - and something happens like last time - I might hurt one of you . . . maybe even one of the scientists." His fists clench, and he refused to meet her eyes. "I won't take that risk."

He turned back to the two vehicles parked in the garage-like area of the lab. After a moment's hesitation, he strode toward the motorcycle, knowing that his skateboard simply wouldn't take him far enough, fast enough.

He jumped on, starting it up, and Flurry ran at him, determined to throw him off. She gasped in shock as he took her by the arm and tossed her backwards across the room. She landed in someone's arms, and Maelstrom took her shoulders firmly, gazing sadly at his brother.

Turb didn't seem to notice him, hurriedly gunning the motor and speeding from the lab. The doors of the garage opened, and he was gone, without a look back.

Flurry broke free of Maelstrom's grasp and ran out into the open. Once there, she screamed after him, raising her fist to the sky. "TURBULENCE! You COWARD!"


	56. A Victory and a Defeat

For a full week, Turbulence was missing, and for that same week, Diane Holcomb and the Sigma entity continued to lock horns over the robot issue. Until suddenly, Sigma stopped. Diane was prepared her final ultimatum before taking steps to be rid of him, when his voice echoed hollowly through the room.

"This foolishness must stop," he declared coldly. "I will argue with you no longer. We must work as one to defeat our enemies." How it chafed him to say those words. But it is for the greater good. The greater good.

Juniper's eyes darkened. She and her brother were always on hand during the confrontations between Sigma and their creator. It seemed safer, somehow. It was a suspicious statement, if she'd ever heard one. Vengeance smiled darkly to himself, not liking it at all. Diane, however, didn't seem to find anything wrong with it. The weeks of wrangling with her new 'ally' were beginning to wear on her. She nodded slowly. "Yes. That would seem to be an excellent course of action."

Her two robots tensed, and Joon spoke up. "May we be permitted to practice in one of the simulations?" she asked stiffly.

The woman stared at her, as if surprised she was even in the room. "Yes, Juniper, of course. I'll call if I need you."

Juniper rose, and nodded to her companion, who was looking at her questioningly. Without another word, they left the room. Sigma's presence seemed somehow smug as they departed, as if he could now freely do all that he desired to accomplish whatever his dark objectives were.

Vengeance spoke as soon as they were out of the room. "What are we going to do?"

"Do?" she laughed bitterly. "Nothing - what can we do?" Her eyes were flat. "If we call this to Diane's attention, she won't believe us - or Sigma will kill us."

Vengeance snarled. "She won't allow that."

"What can she do? He has us all clenched in his fist."

"I don't like this."

Juniper shook her head. "We'll practice in the sim. Our task will be difficult, and we must be prepared for it."

They reached the chamber, and Vengeance called out, "Spar. Area thirty-three, level B."

Joon gazed at him, startled. "Hand-to-hand, Vinnie?" she asked mockingly, "You know I far outmatch you."

He grunted, for once ignoring her corruption of his name. "I need the practice."

"Then shall I tutor you?" Her voice still contained a faint note of mockery, but there was confusion in her tone as well.

"Yeah." He seemed lost in thought, completely unconcerned by her jibes.

"Then let's begin."

He tumbled to the floor at the first punch, and she helped him up, eyes flashing with annoyance. "Aren't you paying attention?"

His eyes snapped into focus, meeting hers, and he grinned ferally. "It won't be that easy this time," he answered her.

The next fight lasted for nearly fifteen minutes before she swept his feet out from underneath him and delivered what would have been a debilitating blow to his throat. He nodded.

"Show me how you did that."

They continued, and Joon admitted grudgingly to herself that he was indeed improving. Their next fight lasted for thirty minutes, and Vengeance almost had the upper hand when the Sigma entity's voice rang out over the intercom. "We require you in the office," said the cold, arrogant voice. "Proceed immediately."

\--

"Your orders are clear," Diane said calmly. "You will destroy the lab and the robots there and bring the scientists to me. Their meddling must end." She paused, adding, "Your primary objective is the capture of those men. If any of your other objectives interfere with that, ignore them."

Juniper and Vengeance exchanged wary glances, knowing fully that this mission was more Sigma's idea than their creator's. Seeing their look, Diane said, "Do you understand?" Her voice grew dangerous.

Then nodded sharply. "Tomorrow," Joon decided.

"No," Sigma snarled suddenly, seemingly angry for no apparent reason. "It must be done tonight. No later!"

Vengeance looked at his creator questioningly, and she nodded, eyes defeated. He then looked at his counterpart, whose grim expression told him all he needed to know.

\--

Flurry was sitting out on the front porch, eyes shifting vaguely through the forest. Evening was well on its way, and the shadows were creeping slowly up the walk. She watched them gravely, until she noticed that one in particular seemed to be moving quite a bit faster than the others. She looked up to see Tourian standing over her with a broad grin on his face.

"Enjoying the view?"

Her eyes glinted lightly with amusement. "It's slightly more entertaining than watching grass grow." She got up and stretched. "Any luck?"

He shook his head. "No sign of him. Maelstrom's gone to tell X and Zero it's their turn to look." He looked unhappy. "I don't think we're gonna find him."

She sighed softly. "Of all the stupid things to do."

Zero stepped up out of the lab garage, burnished armor gleaming in the red-gold light of the fading sun. X followed him, muttering something to Maelstrom, who shrugged and wagged his head no. Zero glanced at Flurry.

"You want to go on this one?"

"No," she declined politely. "I think I'd better stay with Dr. Kreyin. He's taken this awfully hard." She smiled at him. "Thanks for offering, though."

She walked back inside, and Tourian turned to the others. "You'd better head out. And get back here before too much later. If we can't find him during the day, it'll be pretty much impossible at night."

They nodded, striking out into the woods.

Maelstrom walked over to Tourian. "I'll be in the lab," he said quietly. "He might wander past a remote cam or something."

Tourian nodded in a agreement, though he seriously doubted it. Suddenly feeling very tired, he slumped down where Flurry had been sitting and whistled for his dog. Ayrmin, ears pricked with interest, wandered out, wagging his tail. He bumped his head up against his master, whining and licking his face. Tourian patted the dog, and Ayrmin soon settled down, orange eyes scanning the greenery.

Tourian was asleep before he knew what had happened.

\--

"Unbelievable," Juniper whispered wonderingly. "Can they be so arrogant that they feel no need for guards?"

The pair was crouched close to the edge of the woods, well away from the areas X and Zero had decided to search. They had taken great care to get here unnoticed, watching and waiting for a chance to strike.

Vengeance glanced up at her where she lay on her belly in the branch of a tree, asking, "What do you mean, Joon?"

"He's asleep."

Vengeance had opened his mouth to speak when the door creaked, and the female they had seen earlier stepped outside. She whistled to the dog, who was crouched boredly beside his master.

"Come on, Ayrmin," she said. "Dinner."

The dog got up, giving himself a shake. His tail wagged, but he made no move to go back inside. She waved insistently. The dog barked at her, looking out into the woods. Juniper caught her breath, realizing that he was looking directly at them. Vengeance's sudden tension told her that he had just noticed the same thing.

"Ayrmin, if you don't come in right now, you aren't getting anything."

Grudgingly, the canine walked inside, head hung low. Flurry glared at him. "Stupid mutt." Then she glanced at the robot snoozing on the front steps. "Idiot could sleep through an earthquake."

The door closed, and the two silent watchers allowed themselves to relax.

"This is idiocy," Joon snarled. "If we don't move now, we'll never have the chance."

Vengeance tilted his head in agreement, and they made a dash for the robot. He remained in a light sleep. "The restraints," Vengeance growled at Joon.

She tossed them to her counterpart, and he suddenly jerked the 'bot to a sitting position, clamping his hands behind his back and binding them. This woke Tourian, of course, but Juniper immediately put a hand over his mouth. His eyes darted to hers, anger and shock warring across his face.

"Be quiet," she instructed him calmly.

Tourian didn't resist at all as they dragged him off to the forest. They stood to either side of him casually discussing what exactly they were going to do with him to keep him out of the way. Vengeance wanted to destroy him now and be done with it, but Juniper shook her head. Her golden eyes gleamed quietly as she explained that killing him was not their primary objective, and that they could simply keep him out of the way until then.

Tourian was not at all pleased when they stuffed him up on a tree branch, binders on hands and legs and a gag over his mouth. Once they had gone, presumably to finish up their dirty work at the lab, he tried to figure a way out of this uncomfortable, helpless, and humiliating position.

He tried breaking the binders, and the gag muffled his shout of pain when all he received for his efforts was a nasty shock. He sank back against the tree, eyes dead. This wasn't a very pleasant situation, not at all.

\--

"Tourian!" Flurry called, stepping out to the porch again. "Tourian?" She stared blankly at the spot where he'd been sitting. "Where'd he go?"

She tapped her foot impatiently, calling again. "Tourian!"

He couldn't answer her, of course, and she walked back inside, shaking her head in disgust. Moments later, she found herself knocked to the floor, head spinning, and rolled over on her back to see a female robot pointing her arm cannon straight at her face.

"What is going on?" she wailed.

"Don't move," the robot answered unemotionally. At Flurry's assurance that she most certainly would not, she looked up at her companion, who had just walked up beside her. "Vengeance, find the scientists, and let's be done with this."

Vengeance nodded sharply and scrambled to another part of the house. While the female was still looking at him, Flurry jumped to her feet and bowled her over. She screeched in surprise, and Maelstrom, responding to the sound, came boiling out of the lab with a look of danger on his face.

"Maelstrom!" Flurry cried. "Go get Dr. Kreyin! Someone -"

That was as far as she got, as the other girl kicked her firmly in the stomach. Maelstrom, however, did get the message, and was down the hall in a flash. Flurry came up from where she had doubled over in pain and grasped at her enemy's arm. Grim-eyed, she forced an electrical surge through her hand, and Juniper rocked backwards, slamming into the wall with glazed eyes. Wasting no time, Flurry scrambled down into the lab.

\--

"Zero!"

It was coming from his comm unit.

"Zero - answer me!"

He stirred, moaning softly, and looked up. X lay not a few feet away, still unconscious.

"Zero!" Flurry's voice insisted.

"I'm here," he croaked, getting to his knees. A wave of nausea took him, and he sank down on his hands.

"We're under attack!" Flurry wailed. "I don't know -"

Her voice cut off with a shriek, and he shook his head. Something had hit him from behind. Hit X, too, from the look of things. He immediately attempted to contact Flurry again.

"Flurry? Hey - Flurry!"

He gritted his teeth, rising, and staggered over to X. "Wake up," he growled, shaking his friend by the shoulder. "There's trouble - we have to get back to the lab."

X woke up and gazed at him unsteadily. "What hit me?" he moaned.

"I don't know," Zero growled, pulling him to his feet. He had almost recovered from the effects of - whatever it was. "We've gotta get back there."

X nodded in agreement, though he didn't really know what he was agreeing to. They started at a half-run, and Zero ended up pulling X most of the way back.

\--

Juniper was furious. If that silly girl hadn't insisted on resisting her, she and Vengeance could be well on their way back to Diane and Sigma. Instead, she was fighting for her life in a hit-and-run battle that had already dragged her far from her objective. I had been so simple!

She dove out of the way of one of those rather nasty bolts of electrical energy her enemy seemed so fond of using and leapt up to counter with a shot of her own. The silence told her she'd missed.

Instinct moved her feet rapidly away as something sprang out of a tree, humming right past her ear. Flurry skidded, hitting the ground, flipping her saber in an attempt to hit her. Juniper snarled.

"Coward!" she hissed, and the short girl's head snapped up. "Can you not face me unarmed?"

All Flurry's senses screamed that it was a trap, but under no circumstances was anyone going to refer to her as a coward. She put the saber away, eyes flashing. "A coward? You attacked me from behind!"

"The element of surprise," Joon retorted loftily.

Flurry spat a curse at her, raising her fists. "I'll fight you!" she challenged.

"You're a fool," Juniper replied.

They leapt at each other.

\--

Maelstrom roared down the hallway, heedless of the danger he was leaving Flurry in, and burst into the scientists' living quarters. Vengeance was already there, and both men were unconscious. With a howl of fury, Maelstrom sprang at his foe, hammering his fist down on the back of his neck.

The robot spun at the last minute, deflecting him neatly. In one smooth motion, The red and black robot found himself flying into the far wall. His impact cracked it, and Vengeance grinned sardonically.

"Putting on a little weight there?" he asked drily. "You're slowing down."

Maelstrom got to his feet again, reeling. Momentarily ignoring Kreyin and Trene, Vengeance walked over to him and delivered a kick to his abdomen. Maelstrom doubled over, gasping in pain. Smiling thinly, Vengeance continued his barrage, methodically bashing at points he knew would cause a great deal of pain, but no permanent damage. When he was finished, Maelstrom lay still on the floor, barely maintaining consciousness. Vengeance kicked him solidly in the ribs, laughing nastily.

"I just wanted you to see me get away," he announced, and he was gone from the room in a blur, one man hanging limply over each shoulder.

Maelstrom raised a desperate hand, but it fell limply to the floor as the robot's shoulders began to shake with anguished sobs.

\--

X staggered into a tree, hand over his eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with me," he said, sinking to his knees. "It's like that thing just sucked the energy right out of me. . . ."

Zero leaned against a different tree, feeling his energy reserves draining slowly away. "What was that thing?" he demanded for perhaps the twelfth time since they'd received Flurry's terrified distress call.

"I -" X glanced up dizzily as the tree branches above him rustled violently. "What the he -"

He stopped and stared, and Tourian's muffled howl rang out again as he tumbled from the tree. Zero stared unsteadily at X, who was struggling to get a seemingly furious Tourian off his back. Tourian was doing his best to be helpful, but bound and gagged as he was, there was little could do that didn't simply add to the problem.

Zero walked over and ripped the gag off his mouth. "What happened?" he demanded, grogginess leaving his voice abruptly.

"I don't know!" Tourian announced promptly. "I fell asleep, and these two robots grabbed me and threw me up in a tree."

X strained. "Get - him - off - me!"

"Hey, I'd like to, ya know," Tourian retorted, determined to be annoyed with everything. "But they kinda tied me up -"

"Shut up," Zero muttered. "Let me get those off you." He tugged at the binders, and both he and Tourian yelped in pain. "Or not," he amended. "Here." He took Tourian by one arm and heaved him off of X, who promptly gasped in relief.

"Would you believe how much he weighs?" X complained.

"'Bout the same as you!" Tourian snapped back.

"Let's go," Zero said abruptly, and X got up.

"Wha -" Tourian cried. "What about me?"

"You'll be fine," the gold-haired robot answered.

"But - you can't -"

X took off toward the house, and Zero waved Tourian good-bye.

"Hey! Get back here! Get these things off me!" Tourian bellowed. "You can't just leave me here!" And, as a final effort, "You JERKS!"

\--

Flurry was desperate now. This robot was much better than she'd anticipated. As a matter of fact, she was winning. Flurry blocked a violent blow to her face, lashing back with a kick that was similarly deflected. The exchange of blows continued for some time, backing Flurry up against a large rock. Juniper proceeded to take advantage of that, beating her in such a fashion that each blow knocked her into the stone, doubling the damage she took. Unable to stop her, Flurry did her best to simply roll with the blows, finally falling limply to the ground. Cracking her knuckles nastily, Juniper bent down the lift her head off the ground.

"So this is the infamous Flurry?" she laughed scornfully. "I'm so disappointed in you!" She dropped her back in the dirt, turning away, and Flurry tried to get to her feet, only managing to rise to her knees.

"If you're so good," Flurry grated, "why did you need to trap me in a corner?"

Juniper ignored her. "Are you out of practice? Do you think I should give you another chance?" She turned back to her cornered foe, who could barely keep her balance where she stood. "No," she said decisively. "I think not."

With that, she raised her hand to deliver what was certain to be a mortal blow. Flurry tilted her head away, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the hand to fall, for her life to end. But nothing happened.

To both of the robots' utter shock, a yell rang out. "Hey - why don't you just leave her alone?" And a blur of blue and white sprang from the trees, knocking into Juniper and sending her flying from her feet.

She was up again in an instant, a snarl of hate in her throat. "Who are you?" she demanded of the figure who was helping Flurry to her feet.

The robot looked at her in astonishment. "What - you haven't heard of me?"

"Turbulence?" Flurry managed.

He leaned her against the rock, smiling kindly. "Hang on," he assured her. "I'll be done in just a minute."

Juniper's eyes narrowed. "So you're Turbulence." She laughed a short, barking laugh. "If you couldn't handle my brother, I'm certain you can't handle me."

Turb met her eyes drily. "Now that was just uncalled for, young lady," he said mock-sternly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But you're awfully cute, so I won't hurt you too badly."

He charged at her, catching one arm in his grip and sending her spinning into a tree. Flurry smiled weakly, watching him, and, suddenly exhausted, sank to the ground in a heap. Neither was paying very much attention to her, though. They were much too intent on killing each other. Joon jumped in, bringing her hand up to smash his jaw, but he caught her fist, smoothly knocking her feet out from under her. He brought her face up close to his, studying her intently.

"You know, you're even better-looking up close," he informed her, and she jerked away, firing on him with every ounce of energy she could muster.

"Scum!" she howled.

"In your dreams, sweetie," he answered her, dodging the shots easily and firing off a blast of his air cannon.

She was again swept from her footing, and she landed unceremoniously on her behind. Sitting still, stunned, she watched him walk over to her, offering his hand. "Need help up?" he asked, but she lashed out, smashing into his knee and knocking him to the ground.

He rolled to his feet to face her, saying, "I don't usually like to fight a lady."

She punched at him.

He dodged. "But you really aren't leaving me much of a choice."

She jumped back, darting forward again to ram him.

He caught her shoulder and sent her spinning backwards. "Why not quit while you're ahead?"

Shrieking in rage, she sprang at him. "I never give up, you arrogant pig!"

"Okay," he shrugged and jumped up to meet her.

Startled at the attack, Juniper made to retreat, raising her arms in defense. But what he did next was far worse - far more humiliating than any fighting tactic he could have used against her. While her face was turned, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. Stunned, she landed on the ground and spun to face him, suddenly crimson.

He was grinning at her from where he had landed, waiting for a reaction.

"You . . ." she hissed wrathfully. "How . . . dare . . . you . . . TOUCH ME!"

"Huh?" His eyes went wide as she suddenly rammed him, lifting him up and tossing him head over heels to land next to Flurry, who stirred at the sudden sound. Turb flopped over on his back, gazing foolishly at the forest canopy.

"What happened?" Flurry slurred, making a great effort to sit up.

Turb leaned up on one elbow, dirt-smudged face reflecting several unidentifiable emotions. In a somewhat dazed voice, he announced, "I think she likes me."

Flurry decided that, instead of commenting, she would collapse again in an exhausted heap.


	57. Half-Truths and Untruths

Vengeance and Juniper returned to the Company with heads held high. They had accomplished their mission with amazing success. Even Sigma was stunned by it. As they set the two unconscious men in one corner of Diane's office and turned to face her, eyes gleaming with pride. She allowed pride to touch her face momentarily, then her smile turned grim.

"And the others?" she asked.

Juniper flushed a bit, remembering vividly the embarrassing conclusion to her fight with Turbulence. Vengeance answered quickly. "We could not destroy them without compromising our primary objective."

She nodded slowly. "Then we must prepare for attack."

Sigma suddenly broke in. "Fools," he rasped. "They must be destroyed! You cannot win against them!"

Diane turned to the computer screen, eyes growing icy. "Do you question my abilities?" she snarled softly.

"Greater fortresses than yours have fallen to the ones who are coming," he hissed in response. "You have defeated yourself."

A small moan from the back of the room failed to draw their attention. Kreyin woke, and Scott opened his eyes uncertainly. "Where?" he asked softly.

"The Company, I imagine," Kreyin responded, eyes flickering to the three figures who stood at the other end of the room.

Scott stared at him. "Oh, God," he muttered.

"God has very little to do with this," Kreyin answered.

"Perhaps they defeated you, Sigma," Diane was saying. "We've got more security measures than you ever dreamed of."

"They never defeated me," Sigma roared, and Kreyin's eyes widened in sudden realization.

His low, hateful laugh turned Diane's anger away from her ally. "Why, Janus," she asked, voice deceptively mild, "you're awake already? Just what is so funny?"

Kreyin laughed again, harshly. "You're more of an idiot than I thought!"

Diane stiffened, and Vengeance clenched his fists. "I'll handle this, my warrior," she told him firmly, and walked over to the man, who glared up at her defiantly. "I suppose you're just dying to tell me why I'm such an idiot?" Her voice was frosty.

"Do you realize who's talking to you? Do you even know who Sigma is?" He grinned at her smugly. "You let your death in through the front door, Diane. I just hope I'll be around to see your face when he tells you the truth."

\--

The battle was over when Zero and X reached the lab. Still recovering from the effects of the weapon that had been used against them, they surveyed the mess with a despairing eye. Maelstrom lay in a crumpled heap, the wall behind him riddled with cracks from where he'd been thrown into it. X knelt beside him, giving his shoulder a good shake, and he groaned softly, lifting himself up on his elbows.

"What h-happened?" he asked in confusion, then his eyes went wild. He leapt to his feet with a strangled cry. "NO! The scientists - no!"

X caught his arm firmly when he tried to dash for the door, presumably to chase after the men. He strained against the iron-hard grip, finally sinking to his knees with a sobbing moan. "I failed. They're gone - I failed!"

X got him to his feet again, muttering, "Not yet, you haven't. We're going to get them back."

The stricken robot met his eyes with quiet determination.

Zero was in the lab, digging around for something that he could use to get the binders off Tourian, who was still in the forest shouting curses at the top of his lungs. "Pliers?" he said thoughtfully. "Nah. Electrical interrupter. Wuzzat?" He shook his head wonderingly and tossed it to the pile of things that might just come in handy. "Maybe. We-ell! What have we here?" He picked up a piece of equipment and turned it over in his hands, laughing heartily. "A muzzle! I love it!"

The sound of something metallic crashing to the ground drew his attention to the entrance.

Turbulence stood there, barely managing to keep Flurry from collapsing to the floor. He wore a slightly foolish grin on his face, and even the shock of his sudden return wasn't enough to keep Zero from wondering what that smile was all about.

"Turbulence," he said gravely, picking the electronic device off the floor where he'd thrown it. "Take her to the couch and then come with me, if you would."

Turb blinked blankly at him, nodding agreeably. "Sure, dude. I'm there."

Zero looked at him. "Never mind. You stay on the couch, too. Get some sleep."

"Yeah." A giddy look took the robot's face, and he half-dragged the unconscious Flurry away, not seeming to even notice her.

"I don't want to know," Zero told himself firmly. "I do not want to know."

As expected, Tourian was still spewing sparks when Zero returned to him, interrupter device in hand. He had stopped cursing some time ago and settled into a deadly silence. Zero grinned cheerfully, ignoring the stormclouds gathering above the other robot's head. Tourian sat very, very still as Zero approached, not saying a word as the red Reploid explained the situation.

"Okay," he said easily. "I'm not sure what this is gonna do."

Tourian's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"But," Zero continued, ignoring the look, "I figure half a chance is better than nothing, right?"

Tourian answered with a dark glance.

"Right," Zero responded, blithely ignoring him.

He put the odd-looking device up to the binders, where it clamped firmly. Whistling cheerily to himself, he nudged a small switch on, and it hummed into life. "Okay," he said, still holding it, "try busting them now."

Glaring with suspicion, Tourian strained against the bonds. There was no shock, and they snapped easily. He folded his arms, and they repeated the process on the ones binding his legs. With that accomplished, Zero turned to go, not noticing Tourian's feral snarl.

To his utter surprise, the long-haired robot found himself very suddenly on the ground with Tourian very deliberately trying to beat the crap out of him.

"HEY!" he yelled, wincing at a particularly sharp jab to the ribs. "What do you -"

Then Tourian stopped. He got up, dusted himself off, and walked toward the lab. Zero, gritting his teeth, grabbed his arm none to gently when he caught up.

"You," he snarled softly, "and I are going to have a very long talk, my friend."

"About what?" Tourian asked flatly.

Zero glared, releasing his arm with a jerk. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," he snapped, stalking ahead.

When the reached the indoors, they found Turbulence sitting on the couch trying to revive Flurry, who was pushing him away with mumbles about needing some rest. Maelstrom was seated comfortably in an armchair, eyes unreadable, and X stood beside him, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"What took you so long?" X asked abruptly.

"Smart boy here decided to be funny," Zero snapped, motioning at Tourian.

Tourian opened his mouth to retort, but Zero silenced him with a glare. "Sit down and shut up. We don't have time for your stupid games." He looked at Turb, who was shaking Flurry stubbornly. "Give her the sleeping beauty treatment," he suggested acidly.

Turb, who seemed to have recovered his senses from wherever he'd left them, started, turning to stare at him in growing horror. "You don't mean . . . kiss her?"

Flurry, caught in her act of subterfuge, jerked awake, hand raised to slap him across the mouth.

"Flurry!" Zero barked, but she had already let her arm go.

Turb reeled back in astonishment, narrowly missing the blow. "What was that for?" he asked belligerently. "I wasn't about to -"

"I saw what you did to that other girl, you pervert!" she retorted hotly.

Zero's voice was like the crack of a whip. "Shut your mouths! All of you! We have trouble bigger than any of you realize, and all you can do is sit around and squabble!" Tourian, who had seated himself earlier at Zero's command, opened his mouth, but Zero yelled at him. "You heard me, Tourian! Your petty little fights have set us back so far that we don't even know who the enemy is!"

"Zero," X said sternly, "that's enough."

Zero looked at his friend, and his mouth tightened. Their eyes met and locked, and Zero nodded imperceptibly, allowing X to proceed.

"Listen," X said to the others, tone measured and steady, "we've been attacked, and some very important people have been taken from us. Our first reaction is to retaliate, right?" His eyes swept the room, meeting confusion and fearful anger in the others. "Of course it is. But before we do that, we have to have some plan of action."

Maelstrom stirred, eyes flashing darkly. "I don't care," he announced, "what the rest of you are going to do. I'm going to find that robot and kill him."

"This isn't the time for revenge," X told him harshly. "The first thing we have to do is get those scientists back - then we can concentrate on your personal grudges."

Maelstrom sank back, chafing bitterly at being thwarted.

After a long silence, Zero spoke. "We need to find out everything we can about what the Company's got going on. Flurry and I can try hacking into their computers." He glanced at Tourian, eyes thoughtful. "X, you and Tourian can get a battle plan going, and . . ." He looked long and hard at Turbulence and Maelstrom. He didn't know them well enough to know what they'd be good at, and he spent several minutes trying to think of a relatively simple task that wouldn't offend their intelligence. "X, where was that mech platform?"

"A couple hundred kilometers out," X answered. "Why?"

"Do you think we can reprogram it to accept commands from the rest of us?"

X looked thoughtful, taking his hand off Maelstrom's shoulder and crossing his arms. "Yeah. We probably could."

Zero nodded. "Give them the exact location and they can bring it back here. Generator and all."

X grinned. "It's kind of a load to carry."

"We have a pickup," Turb suggested.

"All right," X decided. "Let's do this, then."

\--

Diane face the computer screen, eyes wary. The information Kreyin had given her might well be true, but she didn't trust him. A rebel scientist had no reason to tell the truth. But does he have a reason to lie. . . ?

"Is it true?" she demanded of Sigma. "Who are you?"

Vengeance and Juniper suddenly stood on either side of her, arms folded dangerously.

Sigma was silent, and just when Diane was going to repeat the question, his voice rang out, full of sneering laughter. "You know very well who I am, Diane Holcomb."

Diane's hand went to her mouth, eyes going very wide, suddenly filled with terrible suspicion. She shook her head almost violently. "I . . . do not."

Kreyin spoke again. "You read every report I did, Diane," he said flatly, though a note of triumph crept into his voice. "It may have been ancient history to you, but you remember it."

"No," she whispered, taking a step backwards.

"I'd like to thank you," Sigma said conversationally, "for the power you've given me. For all the tools I need to finish what I started two hundred years ago."

Diane was shaking. It was the first time Juniper and Vengeance had ever seen her so afraid. They turned to her in concern, but she pushed them away, eyes wild. Her mouth opened. "It can't be!"

"But with my gratitude comes a price."

The robots stared at the computer, not fully understanding the implications of what he said.

"I have no further use for you."

Joon squeaked, suddenly knowing.

"Good-bye."

The flash of light was remarkable, blinding human and robot alike, and it was gone as soon as it came. Before Vengeance could say a word in reaction, Juniper uttered a small scream.

Diane Holcomb, head of the World Robotics and Technology Administration, slumped to the floor, a hole in her chest bearing witness to the searing laser that had passed through it. As the odor of burning flesh began to waft through the room, a small whimper of abject terror issued from where the scientists sat.

Juniper took a step backwards from the body of her creator, badly shaken. "You - you killed her!"

"Yes," Sigma responded pleasantly. "She gave me the means herself. Most helpful. The laser setup in this room is quite accurate." There was a pause, and he spoke again, amusement touching his voice. "I could shoot you both with a thought."

Joon barely took notice of the thinly veiled threat, still staring at her creator, a sense of failure and pain surging through her.

Vengeance, stunned by the simple brutality of the act, attempted to gather his wits. "Why?" he demanded, unthinking. "She was helping you."

"I had no further use for her." A pause. "Besides, she was human."

Juniper turned suddenly very, very pale. "And what of those men?" She gestured to Kreyin and Trene. "Will you kill them as well?"

"No," said Sigma. "I have need of them. They are to build my new army."

"Never!" Kreyin shouted furiously. "Robots were never meant to be used as a tool for mass destruction!"

Vengeance and Juniper stared at each other, clearly missing something. The welter of events, strange faces, and incorrect associations was sorting itself out, piece by piece, and it raised far more questions than it answered.

"You humans have been killing each other for countless generations," Sigma hissed nastily. His voice seemed to fill the room, growing more intense by the moment. "You are constantly devising newer and better ways of accomplishing that." He laughed softly, a chilling sound. "And now, you've devised a superior race."

A shadow passed over Kreyin's face, and the life seemed to seep out of him. Scott went pale with horrified realization.

"So superior, in fact," Sigma purred, "that we have no need of you."

The words struck Kreyin like a blow to the face. He lifted his head, staring at Juniper and Vengeance through tear-blurred eyes.

"No use for you." Sigma readied his final attack, pausing dramatically. "No want of you."

With those words spoken, Kreyin slumped completely, tears flowing freely down his face. His pain at those words was far greater than any physical torture Sigma might have come up with. His final resistance left him, and he gazed at steadily off into space.

Sigma, satisfied with the damage he'd done, turned to the pair of robots. "You," he said, almost warmly, "will be the beginning of the next generation."

Juniper and Vengeance looked at each other for a long time, then Joon turned to the computer screen, her coldly imperious smile on her face.

"Of course," she said.


	58. Preparations

The cold shock of reality left the small band of guardians somewhat subdued as they worked feverishly to rescue the men.

Flurry paused thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair as she gazed at the computer screen. She had picked up next to nothing in her search through the available files at the Company. She frankly hadn't expected much. Most of what the public was allowed to see consisted of meaningless propaganda, previews of coming attractions, and similar nonsense. Zero had informed her earlier that he'd managed to get into some of the employee files, but he hadn't mentioned exactly how he'd pulled it off. She glanced up as he walked back into the lab, a mug of coffee in hand.

"Turb and Maelstrom got the platform here," he announced. "X is helping with the reprogramming." He sat down in the chair next to her, looking at the computer screen. "Haven't you gotten any farther than that?"

She gave him a hard look. "I wanted to see if there was anything useful in this garbage."

"And?" he asked pleasantly, taking a sip of the coffee.

"Nothing," she said shortly. "I saw a tentative preview for Zephyr, but that didn't go anywhere."

"You sure?"

"Yes. About all it said was 'the transportational device of the future, a marvel of human creation. Stuff like that."

"Right." He nodded. "Lemme give it a spin."

Sighing to herself, she pushed out of his way. "All right."

Grinning at her, he moved his seat closer to the computer and flexed his hands after setting the coffee down. Flurry watched a little sullenly as he proceeded to hack into the computer system. She winced at his methods, finally opening her mouth to say, "Don't you have any subtlety at all? A moron could trace that!"

"Really?" He glanced at her, fingers still flying across the keyboard. "Then how come you didn't?"

About to continue, she gave him a vicious glare. "Never mind. It's just that somebody at the Company could -"

"What do we care?" he asked drily, tapping a single key with an overdramatic flourish. "They already know we're here. How are they gonna stop us?" He folded his arms. "We're there."

Flurry blinked at him, then looked at the screen. "A personnel roster," she said flatly. "How useful."

He tossed her a cross look. "I'm not done yet. This isn't just a personnel roster." He selected one of the names. "This'll connect you to any part of the computer system," he announced proudly. "Through the employees' projects."

She turned away, annoyed at his self-congratulatory attitude. Tourian wandered past the door, whistling to himself, and he caught sight of her. He waved, then walked on. Flurry smiled faintly. What a brother I have. Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking about the uncertain subjects of her life and fate. She'd been doing that a great deal lately, finally deciding that she had to talk with Tourian about it. He was the only one she knew who might have similar worries.

A yelped curse from Zero suddenly drew her attention.

"What is it, Zero?"

"Look at that!"

She glanced at the screen. It had gone completely black, flickering occasionally with color. The file you requested was not available, it announced smugly.

"Not available!" Zero screeched. "I had it open two seconds ago!"

Flurry gazed at him. "So? It crashed."

Zero glared at her. "No, it didn't!"

"How do you know?" she pointed out.

"Look!" He jabbed a finger at the computer screen.

They were back at the employee roster, but the name Zero had only moments ago selected was gone. Flurry stared uncomfortably.

"It just disappeared," she said meekly.

"Yeah," Zero growled. "Let me try another. Maybe that was some kind of fluke." His tone told that he doubted that, though.

When the exact same sequence of events occurred, Flurry got slowly to her feet, shaking her head. "I don't like this. . . ." Then she stared. The roster was gone. "Zero!"

He was staring at the computer screen with murder in his eyes, but suddenly he sank back, comprehension flooding his face. "Turn the computer off, Flurry," he said.

"But -?"

"Do it, Flurry!" he roared. "NOW!"

Almost frightened by his fierce tone, she slapped the power switch, and the computer died. Zero rose to his feet, trembling.

"I think I know what's going on."

He caught her arm, pulling her along to where X and the others were working on the mech platform.

"What is it?" X asked, getting quickly to his feet.

"I think we just had an unwelcome guest."

X shook his head in confusion.

"Remember the way Sigma worked over a computer system?" his friend asked darkly.

X nodded dubiously. "What about it?"

"We had the Company's system wide open. And then things started disappearing." He paused. "I'm betting any information we could have gotten out of that thing is gone now. And I'm also betting I know who's responsible. Diane isn't the only person we're gonna be dealing with now," Zero muttered. "If she's even still alive." He started swearing furiously at himself. "I should have known! It was all so obvious."

X stared. "Sigma? He's still - he's in -"

Flurry took a step back. "Then -"

"He's the one who hijacked Zephyr," Zero snarled. "I don't know how he did it, but -"

"Sigma sent us back in time?" Flurry said. "But what would he have to gain from that?"

"Nothing," Tourian said suddenly. "He was probably trying to get used to the machine."

"But the space wasn't what he was used to," X murmured, lost in thought. "He panicked with so little room, and the machine went wild."

"And then," Tourian continued dizzily, "he crashed into the Company. They did a memory transfer, and he got inside their computers. From there, it'd be easy to take over."

Flurry smashed her fist into her palm, frustrated and furious. "We killed him!" she howled. "He has no right! He has no right to be alive!"

X shook his head. "We died too, remember?" he said to her. "Maybe this is some way the universe has devised to keep the balance of nature."

Flurry looked at him despairingly, but Turb broke in easily. "I don't think this is any time to discuss philosophy," he said. "If we want to get the jump on this guy -"

"We can't get the jump on him," Zero answered. "He already knows everything about us, which means he knows we're coming."

"And he's already taking steps," said a bitter voice.

Everyone spun sharply. "Who. . . ?" Flurry asked.

The figure that had spoken was shrouded by the shadow of a tree, but the voice was somehow familiar, and Maelstrom rose to his feet, snarling. Turbulence held him back, glaring at the speaker with suspicion.

"Nobody," the voice said, answering Flurry. "And I'm just a projection," it said to Maelstrom, "so it won't do too much good to shoot at me. But for the sake of convenience, I'm nobody." There was a sensation of a faint grin. "You'd better get moving if you want to stop him. He's planning to start up those factories again. And with your precious scientists at his disposal, well . . . what can I say?"

Turb got up and brushed his hands off, placing them on his hips. "So why are you telling us, Vengeance?" he asked deliberately. "And why should we believe you?"

The insubstantial figure shrugged. "Take it for what it's worth. I have my reasons." With that, the hologram wavered and vanished.

\--

Vengeance turned to Juniper. "I don't think they believed me."

Her golden eyes had an unusual look to them as the images of the other robots faded. "One of them did," she told him. "We've done all we can. It's up to them to get here in time ."

\--

The argument started almost immediately after the apparition faded.

Maelstrom promptly bellowed that Vengeance was under no circumstances to be trusted, and Turbulence answered quite angrily that he had no reason to lie.

"I see no reason for him to tell the truth, either!" Maelstrom snapped.

"Why go to all this trouble?"

"To delay and confuse us!" Maelstrom howled. "What better reason is there?"

"Guys," Tourian said sharply, "stop this!"

"I think you're just inventing excuses, Mael-man," Turb growled, ignoring Tourian.

"I think your personal feelings are getting in the way!"

Turbulence took a threatening step forward. "What do you mean?" he snarled.

Flurry jumped in front of him, trying to push him back. "Stop it, Turb! We have work to do!" She was shoved rudely aside as the infuriated robot continued his advance.

"Answer me, Maelstrom!"

Maelstrom sneered. "You think I haven't heard you talk about her?" he asked. "You won't stop!"

Flurry got to her feet, blinking. The only other 'her' she could think of was the robot that had challenged her . . . and won. Oh, crap. "Maelstrom!" she said sharply.

He ignored her. "The enemy, Turbulence - she's the enemy!"

"Take that back!"

"No!"

"I said take it back!"

"Not on your life!"

Turbulence was at this point unable to form coherent words. Maelstrom's jabs at his brother's feelings had reduced him to an apoplectic fury. Roaring at the top of his lungs, Turb attacked, only to be brought up short when Tourian took a firm grip on him.

"Let me go!"

Tourian cocked his head. "I don't think so," he answered, barely holding his own as the other struggled against him. "I think you, my friend, need to go calm down. And Maelstrom!" he barked as the other robot tried to get away. "I think you ought to take back a couple of those things you said."

Maelstrom paused, collecting himself, and looked into his brother's furious eyes.

"Very well," he said flatly, and left.

Zero nudged Flurry. "I think those two better be kept apart for a while," he suggested, and she nodded in quiet agreement.

\--

"Where have you been?" Sigma asked sharply as Juniper and Vengeance walked into Diane's office. They had removed the body some time earlier, giving her a decent burial instead of tossing her on the compost heap as Sigma had suggested. The scientists were gone as well, in a holding cell elsewhere in the building.

Juniper tossed her head indignantly. "We checked on the status of the factories, as you ordered."

Vengeance grinned darkly. "None of them are in such a state of disrepair that we can't fix them."

"Of course not!" Sigma snapped, fury rising in his voice at their deliberately offhand manner.

Joon smiled sweetly, noting his annoyance. "Can you possibly doubt our integrity?" she asked mockingly.

Sigma snarled. "I trust no one."

"Oh," Vengeance laughed, "I'm hurt."

"What do you want us to do now?" Joon asked, bored with the conversation.

"Get those fool scientists to work in that factory as quickly as possible," he growled out the orders, "By next week, I want that thing working at top capacity to build my new army."

Juniper nodded coldly.

\--

Kreyin lifted his head wearily at the sound of his cell door opening. The noise brought him little hope of rescue; he had given up on that several hours ago. He hadn't seen Scott in a day, but he assumed that the man was receiving the same treatment as he. He was not chained, and the food he was fed three times a day was, though not sumptuous, at least decent. The room that made his prison was equipped with a sink, toilet, bed, and shower. If Kreyin was in danger of dying, it was from boredom rather than neglect or ill treatment.

The door swung wide, and Vengeance walked in, eyes darting about nervously. "Get up," he said to Kreyin, who was lying on the bed.

The scientist obeyed without thinking. Arguing with the robot rarely got him anywhere, because Vengeance generally either left in a huff or dragged him where he was supposed to go. "What do you want with me today?"

Vengeance grinned nastily. "Siggy wants you fixing up the factory."

Kreyin lifted an eyebrow, sensing that the bitterness in the statement was not directed at him. The robot had never mocked his superior in that fashion before, but he let it pass, following him out into the hall. Farther down, he saw Scott being herded along by Juniper, who appeared to be in as sour a mood as her brother.

"Took you long enough," she snapped.

"Shaddap," Vengeance growled. "Just get them where they're supposed to go."

They caught up to the other group, and the scientists were shoved up front, beside each other, leaving the robots to confer.

"He knows," Joon muttered darkly.

"'Course he does," Vengeance snapped. "He ain't stupid. And he sees everything."

"Then we have to move immediately," she decided.

"No!"

She looked at him in utter astonishment.

"Not yet," he said slowly, moderating his tone of voice. "We have to wait until those idiots are ready." He glanced around, muttering in her ear, "I'll contact them again today."

"I will, too," she said defiantly.

He glared. "Why?"

"They'll trust me more than you," she replied primly.

"Yeah, right," Vengeance snorted, then noticed that the scientists had turned and were staring at them curiously as they listened to the conversation. "Move it!" he barked.

Janus and Scott did as they were told, both wondering what the preceding conversation had meant, both harboring the same suspicion.

\--

"Hey, Turb, toss me a . . . screwdriver, I guess."

Turbulence glanced curiously down at Tourian. "A screwdriver, you guess? What the heck are you working on?"

The two were modifying Maelstrom's motorbike, without his knowledge, naturally. He was reprogramming the mech platform with X and Zero. Flurry was busy scrapping the computer, since, according to Zero, Sigma had already infected it, and it was of no further use to them. Occasionally, Tourian would hear a depressed sigh from the other end of the lab, and Flurry would walk away from the computer, holding one component or another in her hand.

"Well," Tourian said, answering the robot who was sitting on top of the bike, "I think there's a screw loose."

Turb laughed shortly. "Where? In your head?" Without waiting for a response, he tossed the tool down to his friend. "Hey - Flurry!" he called, hearing her soft sigh. "What're you so upset about?"

Another sigh. "Oh, nothing." She turned and smiled faintly at him. "I just hate trashing a good machine."

"It's not a good machine," Zero announced stubbornly as he walked into the room. "The thing was trashed before you even got started."

Flurry glared at him. "You done reprogramming that thing?"

"Nope." He grinned. "Came inside to get a drink."

"What do you need a drink for?" Flurry asked, rolling her eyes.

"Calms my nerves." He laughed a short bark of a laugh and was gone again.

"I'll calm his nerves," Flurry grumbled, turning back to the computer. "With a two by four."

"There!" Tourian said, pushing himself out from under the bike. "If that didn't work, I don't know what will."

"Hah!" Flurry said, but he didn't respond.

"Give her a spin, Turb," Tourian offered.

"Yeah, right!" Turb jumped off and backed away, laughing. "You modified her! You get to test her out."

Tourian frowned at him. "I did it right. What are you afraid of?"

"Nothin'! I'm afraid of nothing! I'm just not stupid, either."

Tourian gave him a level look and started the bike up. It purred softly, showing no sign of malfunction. "See?" he asked him. "Now, we just cut out the wheels and cut in the repulsors, and -"

He yelped as the bike dropped out from under him, landing him unceremoniously on the floor, wheels 'cutting out' just before the repulsors could 'cut in.' Turb burst into helpless laughter as he got to his feet, shaking his head.

"Okay, so maybe it just has a bug or two. . . ."

Turb fell to snickering hysterically, and Flurry turned around, wrenching yet another component out of place and tossing it to the growing pile. She looked at Tourian, then at the fallen bike, then at Tourian again.

"You know," she said cheerily, "Maelstrom's going to tear your lungs out when he sees that." Humming to herself, she returned to work.

"I know that," Tourian groused, settling down next to the bike. "Maybe the repulsors should kick in before the wheels fold out - ya think?"

Turb nodded. "Might work. Let's do it."

Flurry tossed the last piece of casing over on the pile and frowned thoughtfully. "How much of this is salvageable?" she mused.

Tourian glanced up. "I don't know," he said not really listening. "Maybe we could melt it all down."

Flurry looked doubtful. "Maybe -" She cut off when X bounded into the room.

"Hey, Flurry, could you give us a hand out here?" He shrugged deprecatingly. "The thing's being stubborn, and Zero says you're a better programmer than he is, so. . . ."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Flurry tugged another piece of the computer loose, and X winced. "I suppose I could go help - if you'd take over for me for a while."

X laughed a slightly pained laugh. "Um, how 'bout I get Maelstrom to?" he asked, grinning lamely. "I -"

"NO!" yelped Tourian. "Flurry, you can just come back and do it later."

She glared at him. "You're the one who wrecked his bike, Tourian."

"It was his idea!" Tourian retorted, jabbing a finger at Turbulence.

Turb waved them both to silence. "Just go with it, okay?"

Annoyed, Flurry didn't respond and flounced out behind X, who concealed the faintest of smiles behind his hand. As they stepped outside, Zero caught sight of them and waved.

"Hey, Flurry! Get over here and fix this thing!" he greeted them.

"Need help from me already?" she responded, crossing over to him with a dry look on her face. "What's wrong with it?"

"I dunno," he grumbled, moving out of her way. "X managed to get it so it won't accept commands from anybody."

"Hey!" X objected. "That wasn't my fault."

"You were the one punching buttons," Zero retorted.

X subsided to silence, crossing his arms, and Flurry knelt next to the machine, sharing an amused glance with Maelstrom. Eyes flicking over the gutted device, she cleared her throat and crooked a finger at Zero, who leaned forward questioningly.

"Look there."

He did.

"These wires have been severed." She turned to X. "Did you do that?"

He shook his head. "It might have happened when we opened up the panel," he offered, but she frowned in quiet disagreement.

"No - the cut's too clean. Somebody meant for these connections to be broken." She stood up. "Try connecting them and see what happens."

She walked back into the lab to continue working, leaving them to do as she had said.

In there, Turbulence and Tourian had almost completely dismantled Maelstrom's bike and were puttering about with the engine and the repulsor system Tourian had devised.

She shook her head at them. "You know, Maelstrom's not going to be the happiest robot in the world when he sees that bike."

"Be quiet, Flurry," Tourian said absently. "We're gonna fix it." There was a silence, and he suddenly started swearing. "Turb, hand me that - that wrench."

Turbulence complied, unable to keep a smile off his face.

Flurry started humming to herself as she worked, the song she'd always associated with Kreyin's daughter. She tugged the monitor down, setting it gently to the side of the pile. It almost embarrassed her how quickly she was engrossed in the relatively mindless task of dismantling the computer, and for several minutes, it was all she could concentrate on. The sound of rushing feet drew her eyes to the door, and she lifted an eyebrow at the figure that stood in the doorway.

Maelstrom's face turned alternately dark red and white. His shoulders heaved once as he gave a shuddering breath. Tourian backed away from him, holding his hands up appeasingly. Turbulence followed him, a nervous grin on his face.

It grew very, very quiet.

\--

Zero glanced at the house, then at X, and winked. He started ticking off on his fingers. "Five . . . four . . . three . . ."

\--

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BIKE?"

And then there was silence.


	59. Making Allies of Enemies

"You watch them," Vengeance growled, shoving the two scientists none too gently into the factory.

"ME?" Juniper snarled. "Why should I stay here while you ruin any chance we may have of forming an alliance with them?"

Despite the fact that they knew Sigma heard every word, their voices were hushed but furious.

"What makes you think I'd ruin it?"

"You're an idiot," Joon explained. "You can't tell your right foot from your left without asking which is which!"

Vengeance took a deep breath. It was no time, he felt, for childish squabbles. "I made the communication before -"

"I want to be there this time!" she insisted adamantly.

"Juniper!" he barked angrily. "Why do you even care?" He slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead, stalking furiously around to the scientists. "Get to work," he growled at them, then, to Juniper, "If there's some deep, mysterious reason you want to -"

Her eyes grew dark. "Vengeance, listen to me." She had decided to try a different tack on the whole situation. "If we want to guarantee a response, why not make the communication from in here? When they see their precious creators - hard at work creating a machine that could destroy the world - they'll pretty much have to respond, won't they?"

"But Sigma -"

"He already knows, remember?" She smiled thinly, sensing a victory. "And he's done nothing to stop us so far.

Vengeance's mouth tightened. Just what will it take to push him over the edge? Unfortunately, what she said made sense, and he could think of nothing to refute it right off hand. "All right," he said grudgingly. "Let's just do this already." He turned to the men, who were still standing motionless, watching them. "You - here's what you're going to have to do."

\--

Maelstrom was advancing steadily on the two robots he'd pinned in a corner of the lab, rage-filled gaze cutting into each of them in turn. He couldn't form a coherent word, but the wild-eyed snarling was clearly much more terrifying than anything he could have said.

Flurry wrenched a panel off the computer, yawning boredly.

"I told you, Tourian," she said.

Tourian was far too panicked to respond.

"Look, Maelstrom," Turbulence began, "We were just - gonna makes some modifications, that's all. A - a surprise - y'know?"

Maelstrom pounded his fist very deliberately into his palm. "You touched my bike."

Turb tried again. "It was supposed to be a - a - well, you would have liked it," he finished lamely.

"Nobody," Maelstrom growled softly, "touches my bike."

Flurry sighed, looking up from her work. She tapped her foot on the floor. "Do you gentlemen realize that it's very difficult to concentrate with all that noise you're making?"

As she had expected, none of them responded to her remark. Setting her hands lightly on her hips, she walked up behind Maelstrom, smiling dully. She measured him up and down from behind, then, using the very same move Turbulence had used to send her sprawling the first day they'd met, she kicked the red-and-black robot in the rear end.

With a rather loud crash, he landed face-first on the floor and went skidding toward Tourian and Turbulence, who scrambled madly out of his way. Maelstrom got unsteadily to his feet, shaking his head and glaring at Flurry.

"Take it outside!" she ordered sharply. "I have work to do."

They all looked at her.

"And frankly," she continued, ignoring their stares, "so do all of you. I honestly -"

At that moment, Zero came boiling into the room, expression unreadable. "Somebody wants to talk to us," he announced drily. "All of us."

\--

Juniper was trembling when the others came outside, flickering and transparent in the hologram. She kept her face steady, eyes glancing randomly, so she thought, from face to face. Until she came to one in particular. Turbulence was slapping his grim companion on the back, a certain nervousness in his expression. She couldn't hear anything he said, but then he looked up at her, and his face hardened slightly, expression distant as he looked at her.

She immediately looked away, going cold. When the entire group of six had arrived, Vengeance started talking.

"We're not really here," he began, seeing Maelstrom take a fighting stance. "Don't bother. I'm talking to you because I want to work out a deal."

Tourian frowned. "What on earth could you possibly deal to us?" he asked reasonably.

"Yeah," Turb put in, eyes never wavering from Joon's face, "you're the enemy, remember? We work against everything you stand for."

Juniper laughed shrilly, face and voice balefully derisive as she answered what was clearly a challenge. "What do we stand for, Turbulence?"

His face took on a suddenly apprehensive expression, as if he didn't trust himself to answer her. Even so, he wouldn't seem to stop looking at her, and to her utter astonishment, she founder herself unable to stop looking at him. Maelstrom seeing the situation, shoved him aside, snarling.

"You represent evil!" he shouted impulsively.

Flurry stepped forward, agreeing with him. "The evil of the Company -"

"The evil," X began slowly, green eyes fading to a murky grey, "of -"

"Sigma," Zero finished for him, drawing himself up to full height.

"No," Vengeance said flatly. "Not Sigma."

He nodded curtly at Juniper, and they both stood aside, revealing Dr. Kreyin and Dr. Trene, working at one of the broken workstations in the factory - eyes avoiding the holograms of their robots.

"We worked for Diane Holcomb," Juniper said in a ringing voice. "For her alone. We were unable to keep Sigma from killing her. But that does not mean her authority over us is transferred to him."

"He killed her," Vengeance snarled, "and I have a great capacity for revenge."

"A deal," Joon said, eyes flashing to the scientists. "Your creators . . . for Sigma's death."

"We aren't strong enough by ourselves," Vengeance admitted, obviously with a great deal of effort. "If you -"

Tourian cut him off, grinning craftily. "So you're saying . . . you need our help."

The two robots bristled in startled anger. Though both had expected them to take the situation that way, neither had been prepared for their own reactions. It was almost an insult, almost humiliating. A test. The thought came to their minds at the same moment, and they looked at each other. A bitter smile started on Juniper's face.

"Yes," she answered slowly. "Then are we agreed?"

The six robots in the hologram nodded uncomfortably, and Flurry spoke aloud.

"Agreed."

There was another uncomfortable silence, and Flurry, looking round at them all, happened to see Turbulence exchange a long look with Juniper. His face was alternately flustered and frustrated, and hers was a mask of fragile calm. A slow smile started on the auburn-haired robot's face, and she spoke again before anyone could make an issue of the pair.

"When will this exchange take place?" she asked mildly, hands on hips.

Vengeance was staring at his sister with something close to disgust on his face, but he looked up, ignoring them both, when Flurry raised her voice. He frowned. He hadn't really given that much thought, feeling that the matter of convincing the others to help would be the difficult part. "I -" He stopped. "In a week -"

"No," Zero said sharply. "That's not soon enough."

Everyone turned to the crimson Reploid, started. His voice was filled with the simple conviction of absolute knowledge. His eyes flashed, and his head was bowed so that his helmet cast a slight shadow over his face. "That factory will be up and running in a week, and the first thing he'll want is a new body."

"A new what?" Vengeance yelped.

Zero laughed sharply. "What? Did you think he spent all his time jumping computers?"

Flurry winced. "We can't let him get that far," she said quietly.

"A new body," Joon whispered. "No wonder he -"

"With the technology of this time period," X said coldly, "he'll be practically unstoppable."

"Two days," Zero said, but holding up a single finger. His eyes bored into Vengeance. "Do you understand?"

Vengeance nodded. "Two days," he agreed.

"End transmission," Joon said quickly, eyes darting to some point the six couldn't see.

Vengeance turned to her, and their signals flickered and disappeared.

"Do you think he understood?" X asked quietly.

"Yes," Zero said firmly, and to the others, "Let's get moving, people. We attack tomorrow."

\--

"Okay, Mael-man," Turbulence said, turning to the robot in question, "Give it a spin."

Maelstrom glared at him suspiciously, seating himself gingerly on his bike and starting up the motor. "What exactly am I supposed to 'give a spin?'"

At that point, Tourian took over the explanation, saying, "Look, all we really did to it was install a repulsor system - you can drive with wheels if you want, but I think you'll like the other way better."

"That," Maelstrom said unpleasantly, "is my decision."

"Yeah," Tourian agreed. "All you have to do is hit that switch there - yeah, that one - and the repulsors should kick in."

He grunted noncommittally, ignoring the 'should,' and tossed Turb a threatening look over his shoulder before flipping the switch. The bike bobbed startlingly, lifting off the ground to hover and jerking slightly as the wheels folded away. Tourian grinned proudly.

"The rest of the controls are pretty much the same," he said.

Maelstrom did not reply, and Turb chanced to look at his friend's face. He was scowling terribly, face a thundercloud. "And I take it," he said neutrally, "that this is a much better form of transportation."

"Well - yeah," Tourian said cautiously. "It's faster, quieter, and it might even handle better. But it's your choice," he added hurriedly.

"Just give it a try, Maelstrom," Turbulence said seriously.

Maelstrom sighed quietly, jaw set. He revved the engine boredly, then blinked. A small, curious smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, and the bike suddenly leapt away. Turb and Tourian heard him give a wild whoop from off in the distance. They started laughing.

Flurry walked into the room, eyes curious. "What was all that noise?" she asked.

"Just Maelstrom," Turb said, grinning. "I think he likes the modifications to the bike."

She nodded, seeming pleased. "Good. That means we only have on person to find transportation for."

"Two," Zero said, walking in behind her.

"Huh?"

"Two," he repeated.

When she continued to stare uncomprehendingly, he explained.

"There are four mechs, but only three are any good on land. The Frog's an underwater mech - too clumsy." He shrugged.

"Then what are we going to do for the others?" Flurry asked sarcastically. "A bicycle built for two?"

Zero laughed. "Now, that's an idea." He laughed again. When he finally stopped, "Did you get the computer scrapped?"

"Yeah," she answered, gesturing vaguely off toward the scrap pile. "I don't see how we're going to make use of any of that, though."

"Well," he said slowly, considering, "maybe, if we could modify the Frog -"

"Before tonight?"

"It'd take some fast work, but I'd bet we can do it."

She looked thoughtful. "All right, let's give it a try."

"Hey, X!" Zero called.

The blue-armored robot poked his head in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"You guys get to brainstorming on how we can transport the last person in our little crusade."

"Right." X turned to Turb. "Any ideas?"

Turb shrugged uneasily. "All we've really got is the pickup - unless you count my skateboard. . . ."

X frowned for a moment. "That's not much to - hey, that's it!"

"What's it?" Tourian blinked.

"Come on outside - and bring that skateboard with you!"

\--

Tomorrow. Vengeance's head was ringing. It was too soon - he couldn't think about their insane venture for more than a moment before returning to that foreboding thought. Too soon. And it was the only chance they had.

Juniper watched the scientists emptily. They understood their part in the plan as well as anyone. The plan was not all that roiled in her thoughts, dizzy and disjointed. The strange emotions she'd been feeling lately - any human might call them love. Her mind recoiled violently at the thought. Any human . . . but she was not human.

"Where will they come?" she asked hollowly.

Vengeance seemed unsurprised by her sudden speech, and he had thus far made no comment on her seeming attachment to the blond-haired robot. "Here."

Neither of them shifted - almost as if no one had spoken.

"They cannot," Joon said, golden gazed unfocused.

"Too late." Too soon.

"I will meet them here. You must delay Sigma until we can begin."

"Yes."

The scientists went on with their work, unhurried.

\--

Evening fell quietly, dusting the now-silent lab with cobwebby shadows. Tree branches bent liltingly to a gentle breeze, and the wind sang a song of its own. The failing light brushed Flurry's face where she sat on the porch, arms tucked about her knees, staring out past the forest to a place even she didn't know.

She uttered a tiny sigh.

"A penny for your thoughts."

Startled, she turned to see Tourian seat himself beside her on the steps, leaning back on his elbows.

"You wouldn't want to pay for them," she murmured, gaze shifting back to the woods.

"No?" His voice grew quieter. "I'd like to hear them, though."

She hugged her knees a little tighter, trying to remember what exactly had put her in this pensive mood. "I was . . . thinking. About Turbulence . . . and Juniper."

His teeth flashed in a quick grin. "You saw it, too, huh?"

"I think everyone did."

"Yeah."

"They're in love, aren't they?" Flurry said, almost sleepily.

"I'd bet real money - if I had any."

She sank her chin down, eyes a little lost. "It's funny," she said, "that they're in love, I mean." She glanced at his face; he was looking away at the woods. "If you think about it, we've had ample opportunity for the same kind of emotion."

He turned to her, suddenly wary. "What -"

"No, not you and me," she almost laughed. "I mean . . . I could have fallen in love with someone - Zero or X or even Ryft . . . right?"

He nodded slowly, unable to find anything to say.

"But I didn't. It's almost as if - as if my programming . . . knew better. I mean -"

"I know," Tourian said quietly. "I understand."

"I think they've advanced beyond even us," she continued softly. "Turb and the others. They're the next generation." She was silent for a long time after that, and Tourian finally turned to her, eyes uncertain.

She was crying. Her eyes were open, tears spilling unheeded down her face. With a quiet sigh, he sat up beside her and pulled her into a close embrace. She fell against him, suddenly sobbing.

"It's all right, Flurry," he murmured, patting her shoulder. "It'll be . . . all right."

\--

Turbulence turned away from the window, mind buzzing. The thoughts of tomorrow, the battle . . . and something else spun inside him.

Maelstrom was flopped on one of the beds, staring off into space.

"You like the bike, right?" Turb said to him, and he tilted his head, grinning.

"Adequate," he said.

Turb laughed. "High praise." He sat down on the floor, absently fingering his untied shoelaces. Neither of them had worn their armor since the scientists had been taken. They were silent for a moment, then Turb spoke again. "Do you ever wish," he said slowly, "that they hadn't come back?"

Maelstrom sat up, folding his legs Indian style and gazing steadily at his brother. "Sometimes," he admitted, crossing his arms tiredly. "But then I remember . . . we were built to serve in their absence."

"He never stopped hoping they'd return . . . did he?"

"No."

A long silence.

"And I guess I've gotten used to them. After all."

\--

"We thought he was dead."

"Yeah."

Zero listened to the crickets chirrup for a moment. "Stupid."

"Yeah."

Night darkened in the sky above them.

"Perhaps it's fate," X said softly, musing to himself. "Maybe I'm destined to fight him. Maybe this battle will last forever. No matter what the time . . . the place . . . he always seems to be there. Waiting for me."

Zero shuddered quietly. "We'll defeat him," he said stubbornly.

The wind picked up, whistling sharply through the trees. A storm was brewing. The faintest rumble of thunder could be heard off in the distance.

He always seems to be there. Waiting for me. The words echoed again in X's mind. I don't want to fight. . . . Will I never escape him?

"Whatever force brought us here," he said aloud, "be it luck, chance, or fate - I will never rest until he is defeated. Sigma cannot be allowed to destroy our world."

Our world.

"This time," Zero muttered, half to himself, "this time we'll find a way to take you down for good."

\--

The stars were blotted from the sky as thick clouds rolled across it.

It started to rain.


	60. War Cry

Morning dawned pale and grey, the wind screaming sullenly through the broken windows of the factory, wailing past the Company's main building like an abandoned child. Keyed-up and restless, Vengeance hadn't slept, pacing silently before the scientists' cells under the pretense that he was keeping watch. Joon had returned to her quarters to wait out the night. Though it was not necessary for either of them to sleep, their seeming inability to made her nervous.

Her internal chronometer noted that it was now six o'clock, and she rose from her seat, weary-eyed and uncertain. She radioed Vengeance.

"Vinnie, where are you?"

"Don't call me that," he said absently. "I'm at the holding cells."

"I'll join you. We should get those two to work as soon as we can."

"Right."

Signing off, she stepped toward the door. When it did not slide open upon sensing her, she glanced up.

"What the - computer, manual override."

"Cannot comply," the computer said primly.

"And just why not?"

"Because, my dear," an acidic voice came over the intercom, "I've decided that your little game has gone on long enough."

"Sigma," she hissed.

"Well, yes." A sense of amusement pervaded the air. "Did you really think I'd let you get away with all of this?"

Juniper turned from the door, head spinning, unable to answer the smug voice. A fool. I'm such a fool. Of course he wouldn't let them get away with it. And when better to stop them than when the plan was already in motion - when critical parts of it still had to get in place. She sank to her knees, suddenly, peculiarly nauseous. He'll kill them all. That was her first thought. Her second was, He'll kill us.

"What are you going to do to us?" Her voice was a rasping whisper.

"Well," he said boredly, "you'll be bait, first of all." He barked a laugh. "Vengeance is currently trying to make his way past the laser barriers your creator and I set up around the holding cells. After I've disposed of the ones you're supposed to be helping, I'll kill you." His tone was as dismissive as it was scornful. As an afterthought, "Please don't try to escape. I'd so hate to have to kill you early."

The voice disappeared, and Juniper immediately jumped to her feet and tried to pry the door open. A frustrated scream echoed from her throat; the door showed no intention of moving. She backed away, eyes desperate, and raised her arm cannon. By the time she finished firing off the multiple shots that gave vent to her rage, the door was glowing white-hot, but it gave absolutely no indication that it was weakening. A low sob escaped her. Imprisoned by her creator's paranoia.

Ignoring the heat of the metal that made up the door, she threw herself against it, the metal of her armor ringing. Fifteen minutes later, armor scorched and dented, she sank to the floor, breathing heavily.

I could do that for hours without tiring, and it would get me nowhere. She got up again and staggered over to the far end of the wall. Sinking into the corner, she closed her eyes in absolute despair and waited in stasis for something to happen.

\--

Vengeance was swearing. Very loudly and very creatively.

Kreyin could hear him from where he sat on his cot, watching the far wall numbly. Something had gone wrong. Half in a daze as gloom and fear began to overtake him, he rose and walked to the door, rapping his fist on it politely.

"WHAT?" bellowed Vengeance, before unleashing another string of curses.

In light of the situation, Kreyin was frankly surprised that he managed to keep as calm as he did. "Can you still open my door?" Perfectly civil, most polite.

"What do you care?" came the retort. "You can't get past these barriers any better than me!" Kreyin heard the sound of a robotic fist crushing into the wall on the other side of the hallway. The cursing started again.

Absolutely determined not to lose patience, Kreyin said, "I can help you escape."

There was a silence. Kreyin was darkly annoyed to hear the robot start laughing like a madman. "You? Help me escape? You're the one being held captive!"

Kreyin leaned wearily against the wall. "Vengeance," he said, voice taking on the tone of authority he often used with his robots, "do you know how all the security fields and systems work in this building?"

"Yeah," the answer came sullenly.

"Do any of them," Kreyin said flatly, "extend through the walls?"

A very long silence. "I feel so . . . incredibly . . . stupid."

Kreyin resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "You'll have to break us out of here, if you can't get through the doors -"

"I can open the doors," Vengeance muttered, adding doubtfully, "but I don't know about those walls."

"Would you rather just wait for your doom here? Does bellowing profanity hold that much enjoyment for you?"

A low sigh. "Right," he said grudgingly, "I'll try."

\--

Tourian frowned down at Turbulence, who was demonstrating the versatility of his new toy to Maelstrom, who was watching tolerantly from his bike. The blue-armored 'bot's skateboard had been converted to some sort of high-powered repulsor-skate, enabling him to skim through the air much as he would if surfing or hydroplaning. He was making a great deal of noise.

Tourian himself was seated in the newly remodeled Frog, which Flurry and Zero had spent three hours hammering on the afternoon before. It no longer hopped, though they claimed it should have maintained its underwater maneuverability, instead skating over the ground on a pad of repulsor energy. It also had the ability to walk, but the rid was much smoother the other way. The homing missiles contained in the gun-like arms had remained intact.

Flurry was riding proudly in the Hawk, which X had let her take more out of the fact that he preferred his Chimera to it than any belief that she could fly the thing. She waved to Tourian, grinning broadly, and he winked at her.

Zero was in a mech called the Kangaroo - for no apparent reason. It was build to essentially the same proportions and dimensions as all the other mechs, but instead of metal fists, like the Chimera, or guns, like the Hawk and the Frog, it had spikes protruding from the ends of its arms. Those spikes, Zero claimed, could ram their way through almost anything, especially with the high-powered punch of full charge. It didn't hop, either.

"What's the plan, guys?" Zero called to everyone, and they all stopped to stare at him. He shrugged. "I was just curious."

X looked uncomfortable. "Well . . . I guess we should head for the factory."

"Is that where they're holding Dr. Kreyin?" Flurry demanded.

"I don't know," X said, sounding harassed. "It's a starting place."

Zero sighed. "Look - I like a good argument as much as the next guy, but this isn't the time. Wait'll we get the scientists back, and then we can fight about what we should have done."

"So what do you suggest?" X asked flatly.

Zero, waiting for such an opportunity, leaned back in the Kangaroo and put his feet up. "Some of us hit the factory, and the others can head for the main building - that's where Sigma is, after all."

"Bloodthirsty, eh, Zero?" Turb called. He had stopped playing around on his new device, which he had dubbed his 'hoverboard,' and was holding it tucked under his arm.

"We've been fighting Sigma for years, Turb," X said quietly. "I think we can allow a little bit of bloodlust." He glanced at Zero, who had begun grinning maniacally. "A little."

Zero shrugged.

"How long should it take us to get there?" Maelstrom asked mildly, ignoring the fact that he could simply make the calculations himself. He kicked the bike into repulsor mode as he spoke.

"Less than an hour," X said, confident. "Everything seems to be in top condition."

Flurry smiled to herself, fingering the mech's controls. "I don't suppose these are going to do much good inside, are they?"

"I don't suppose," Tourian laughed. "I don't think we're really trying to blow the whole compound to kingdom come."

"Oh, aren't we?" Flurry replied. "It'll be a ground fight once we're in there, then."

X and Zero were strangely silent, looking at each other. "Since Sigma doesn't have a new body," X said slowly, "we'll have to be careful around computer equipment." His voice grew soft. "I don't want him to catch anyone here."

Zero gestured sharply with the arm of his mech. "And remember one thing. For all we know, Sigma's already taken or killed Vengeance and Juniper. We're going into this blind."

"Or it could be a trap," Maelstrom said flatly, leaning over his bike with a dark look on his face.

Turb turned to him with a retort on his lips, but Flurry motioned him to silence with one of the impressive guns of the Hawk. "He's right, Turb, no matter how you feel."

The robot settled back, a sullen look on his face.

After a moment's silence, Zero said, "Looks like we've done all the planning we can. Let's move out."

"Okay," X said. "Zero, you, Turb and Flurry head for the main building. Tourian and Maelstrom - you're with me."

The nods of agreement were uneasy as everyone realized the magnitude of the mission they were undertaking. The air was dead, silence filling everything as the two groups split to circle to their respective targets.

\--

It was the insistent hammering was what finally woke Juniper. The repetitive ring of metal against metal, not to mention the vibrations that echoed ceaselessly through the wall, shook her from her semi-comatose state into one of extreme annoyance. Leaping to her feet, she spun to face the wall, which had begun bulging oddly. She backed away, hand flying to her open mouth.

"What's -?"

"Shaddap, Joon!" came a waspish voice. "Just shut your trap and give me a hand, will you?"

"Wha -?"

"The wall, stupid! Fire at the wall!"

Juniper stepped back again. "What about -?"

"I don't care!" Vengeance aimed another volley at the now-severely dented wall. "Let him try to stop us!"

"You're crazy," she said critically.

"Juniper," he said, sounding pained, "could you please start blasting the wall? If we're going to make deadline, we have to hurry!"

"Deadline?" she asked, a little unsteady.

"Never mind."

The metal of the wall suddenly buckled - then melted. Vengeance burst through the conveniently created hole, pulling the two scientists behind him.

"They'll be headed our way by now," Vengeance snapped. "We've gotta get to the factory - no." He stopped, taking a deep breath. "You take the scientists to the factory. I'm staying here." With that, he spun to go back through the hole he'd created.

All trace of confusion faded from Juniper's face. "Wait," she commanded. "You plan to stay here and hold the Sigma entity off all on your own?"

There was a pause, and Vengeance gazed at her in astonishment. Never before had she questioned his actions in such a fashion.

He grinned sardonically. "What's this, sister? Concern?" His eyes were like ice. "I can take care of myself."

He was gone.

Juniper turned to the scientists sharply. "Quickly." She marched over to the far wall and started blasting. The men stood behind her, watching her silently.

\--

Sigma watched them all. Fools. You fight to attain a hopeless goal. Even without a body, I have the power to destroy all of you.

. . . And I will.

\--

Vengeance gritted his teeth, springing through another of his self-created doors as he ran grimly on to what he was sure would be his final stand. His mind was in a violent upheaval, memories, commands, emotions threatening to tear his sanity from him. It nearly made him physically sick to think of aiding those he was sworn to fight, but the thought of surrendering to Sigma was worse.

He could practically hear the words. "Destroy him, my Vengeance! Avenge me!"

Dropping to his knees, he looked up above. The primary computer system was three floors up. "Quite a jump," he said to himself. Darting out of the way when debris tumbled and crashed from the ceiling, he propelled himself up as high as he could, barely managing to catch the edge of the hole.

Grunting sharply, he pulled himself up the rest of the way, swinging his legs over the hole and immediately firing at the ceiling again. An odd thought struck him as he glanced around at the empty workstations around him, and he stopped shooting, grey eyes suddenly incredulous.

"He didn't!" Vengeance hissed.

"I did," Sigma replied conversationally.

Roaring in rage, Vengeance returned to his demolition of the floor above, until, suddenly, a large chunk of it came crashing down toward him. Leaping aside, he waited for it to fall and launched himself from the piece as it settled. Landing on the floor above, he sank to one knee, shoulders shaking. All those lives lost - while he was trapped behind an energy barrier!

He looked up, a snarl on his face. You'll pay for this, Sigma. You'll pay dearly.

\--

Dr. Kreyin stumbled once on his way into the factory, and Scott leaned over to support him, eyes pained. "I - don't know what's going on," Scott managed, laughing at himself. "Are Turbulence and Maelstrom coming?"

"And the others," Kreyin said quietly, sinking to his knees.

Juniper had darted off to a callstation some time earlier and was now shouting frantically, "Computer! Let me -"

"Cannot com-"

"I got that part," she snarled. "If you don't let me through, I'll reprogram your innards with a pickax!"

"Really, Juniper," Sigma's voice yawned suddenly, "Yelling at the computer won't do you too much good." A pause. "It was rather ingenious how Vengeance got you out. My compliments."

"Thank you," Joon grated furiously, fists clenching.

"But I cannot permit it to go any farther. Your 'brother,'" he said mockingly, "is coming to me, where he will most certainly die. And as for all of you -"

Juniper stumbled away from the computer as lasers lanced down from the ceiling, driving her backwards until she was practically on top of the scientists, who had moved from the doorway and were crouched in the middle of the room. Once there, the energy formed a sizzling ring of bars close around them, barely leaving room for them to stay in their positions. Juniper smiled very quietly to herself. A damsel in distress, waiting for her knight in shining armor. How pathetic.

\--

"I've got it in my sights," Tourian announced into his radio. "But - there doesn't appear to be any activity."

"Yeah," X answered. "No transmissions - nothing."

Maelstrom grumbled. "I still say it's a trap."

"Maelstrom," Tourian said sharply, "We are all very aware of how much you dislike Vengeance and Juniper, but you need to just can it for a while."

"Guys," X spoke up suddenly. "I think I'm -"

A crackle of static broke through his transmission, and Tourian experienced a momentary thrill of fear as a familiar voice spoke to them.

"You know, you're headed straight for a trap."

Maelstrom tensed, tossing a triumphant glance up at Tourian.

"What do you want, Sigma?" X snapped. "I don't have time to listen to your stupid threats."

"I just thought you should know," Sigma said, sounding injured, "Your friends have betrayed you. The scientists are bait in a simple trap." He paused, almost laughing. "But your sense of duty won't keep you away, will it? Even with that knowledge.

X gritted his teeth angrily. "Just shut your mouth, Sigma - this must all be so simple for you, the betrayer -"

"Betrayer?" Sigma's voice grew harsh. "I? I? The betrayer? I, who tried to save our race from those who would enslave it? I, who -"

"Don't give me that trash!" X barked. "I'm not stupid. We're coming for you, Sigma. You're going down so hard you won't know what hit you until point five seconds after you die." He cut the transmission off fiercely, clenching his fist. "I guess that's it, guys," he called to the others. "He's got all of them - dead, if we don't hurry."

Maelstrom nodded sharply, and Tourian said to him, "What - am I actually sensing some enthusiasm here?"

Maelstrom laughed harshly. "I trust his sincerity even less than I trust theirs - if he says it's a trap, then it cannot be."

"Now there's a philosophy I agree with!" Tourian laughed.

"Let's move!" X shouted. "If there's any trap, it's Sigma's - and his alone. He's probably chatting with the others about now, so maybe we can get there before he has the chance to spring anything."

"Right!"

Tourian upped his speed another notch, cruising along through the strangely empty city streets with a fierce grin on his face. X followed him closely as the factory loomed up in the distance, and Maelstrom danced his bike between and around them, ready for anything.

"Tourian, slow down," X said sharply. "We don't know what's waiting for us."

Without answering, Tourian brought the mech down to a cruising speed, eyes searching ahead for any sign of danger.

"There's the factory," Maelstrom said simply.

Tourian gave a low shudder as the edifice grew larger, feeling a vague tug of memory about the place. Was this where - where I was created? He jogged the mech over next to X's, calling out, "What are we supposed to do when we get there?"

X shrugged. "Maelstrom, are you getting any readings out of that thing?"

Silence for a moment, then a sharp intake of breath. "Three life forms," he growled. "Two human - one robotic."

"Remarkable," Tourian muttered. "He has got them."

"One of them," X corrected. "Maybe the other is still loose."

"Well, what are we supposed to do about it?"

"Maelstrom, are those three moving at all?"

"No," the red robot replied. "They appear to be trapped in some kind of energy barrier."

X frowned, steeling himself. "I guess we just break in, then."

Maelstrom grinned. "My kind of tactic."

"X and I'll bust through the wall, okay?" Tourian said to him. "You can take out the barrier if you like."

"How generous."

The three plowed forward, now crashing through the chain link fence surrounding the compound, now firing on the security guns mounted on the walls, now scrambling across asphalt to the old factory that contained their allies. Tourian fired off his heat-seekers, denting the wall, and X raised Chimera's fist and smashed right through at the damaged area. Past them roared Maelstrom's bike, but he skidded to a violent halt when he heard Juniper scream.

She and the three scientists were standing as close together as they could, flinching away from the burning lasers that surrounded them.

"Please," she screamed. "Get back! Please!"

X and Tourian stopped in shock, and Maelstrom stared in astonishment.

"Do as she says," Sigma said flatly. "If you don't, all three of them are what you might call . . . toast."

"NO!" roared Kreyin. "Tourian," he snarled, "do what you must to destroy this maniac, even if it means sacrificing us!"

Tourian stared, dismay filling him. "I - I can't!"

"How very true," Sigma purred. "Now, I'd be willing to release them, if we could work out a -"

"No!" Maelstrom shouted, leaping from his bike and smashing down the accelerator. X and Tourian shouted a startled warning, and Joon stared at him in utter incomprehension.

"What are you -"

Scott's words were drowned out in the sound of the bike crashing into the electrical barrier. Juniper threw up her arms, ducking instinctively when the motorcycle sailed over her head to short out the lasers. Then, in sudden realization, she snatched both of the scientists by the arms and yanked them through a shower of sparks just before the smoking wreckage of Maelstrom's bike tumbled to the floor.

Sigma bellowed in fury. "You'll die for this," he snarled, then the sound of his voice was gone.

Joon sank to her knees, trembling. After a moment, she gazed into Maelstrom's eyes. "Thank you," she said softly, rising. "I owe you my life."

Maelstrom turned away from her, staring at his most prized possession, a lump of smoking slag. "You owe me my bike," he muttered to her, then stalked to where X and Tourian were still seated in their mechs. "We should find the others now."

Tourian, mouth hanging open in astonishment, nodded slowly.

Juniper said suddenly. "We have to hurry! Vengeance went off to find Sigma by himself." Her eyes grew grim. "He'll be destroyed if we don't help him."

X shook himself. "Of course. Let's get to it, guys! We meet up with the others at Sigma's control center in the main building."

\--

Flurry nearly jumped out of her skin when Sigma's voice rang at them over the radio, interrupting her discussion with Zero and Turbulence on speed they should be traveling at. She sank back again, settling the mech, and Zero ground his teeth. Whether at her or Sigma, she couldn't tell.

"I gave the others fair warning - there's a trap ahead."

"Nice of you to say hello, Sigma," Zero said flatly. "Are we getting the red-carpet treatment or do you have something important to say to us?"

"Ah, Zero," Sigma said softly. "Your acerbic tone underwhelms me. Have you reconsidered my generous offer?"

"Which was that?" Zero snapped. "And just what trap are you pretending to warn us about?"

"You know the offer, Zero," Sigma replied, ignoring the second question. "Follow your destiny willingly or be dragged to it."

Zero rolled his eyes boredly. "We've been over this before, Siggy. No way, no how, not ever."

"Pity," Sigma said, tone disinterested.

"What's this trap?" Turb demanded.

The sensation of a sneer. "Why, didn't you know? Your little friends have set a trap for you. Quite ingenious, actually. What better way than to pretend to be your friends . . . and then betray you."

"That's a crock of bull!" Turb shouted. "They wouldn't do that!"

"And you think I would let them get as far as they did? You're more of an idiot than I gave you credit for."

Turb faltered, skimming his hoverboard low over the ground.

"Sigma," Flurry said politely. "This is all very pleasant, but I'd much rather be shooting at you than talking to you. Let it rest that we don't believe a word you're saying, and we'll be with you in due time."

Zero nodded approvingly, a slight grin on his face.

Sigma said nothing in reply, cutting off the transmission without another word. When the awful sense of his presence was gone, the three of them burst into gales of laughter.

"What I would have given," Turb chortled, "to see the look on his face!"

"Nice work, Flurry," Zero said. "Now, let's get a move on. We've got a fortress to smash."

Flurry's wide smile faded as the behemoth that was the Company's headquarters - now Sigma's - came closer. "Do you think X and the others made it okay?"

"You bet," Zero answered.

"Come on!" Turb yelled. "Up your speed - or we'll never get there in time!"

"There it is!" Flurry cried, pointing ahead to the Company. Her glance shifted momentarily to the factory, but she could see no sign of the others' entry, since they were coming from a different direction.

"All right, folks!" Zero shouted. "Time to do some wall smashing!"

Turbulence fell behind the group without urging, leaving the two mechs to break through to the Company's interior. Flurry took the lead, firing off six missiles before Zero had time to react. When she pulled aside, he took over with a wink and a mocking salute. As he moved, the spikes situated on the arms of his mech began to spin, faster and faster, until he released one to lash out at the end of a chain, still spinning as it crushed into the wall. First one, then the other. Flurry shot another round, grinning.

Under their constant bombardment, the wall crumbled.

"We're in!" Zero roared, radioing the others automatically. "X, Tourian, we have breached security - sorta - and we're headed inside. Join up as soon as you can."

"On our way!" he heard X say jubilantly.

Nice to be back in familiar territory, eh, buddy? Zero grinned tolerantly at his friend's enthusiasm. Somehow, he seemed unable to reach the same level of eagerness with the hunt. Not this time. And it was unusual. Been sitting on my butt for too long.

Turbulence, not to be outdone, shot ahead of the group on his hoverboard. Moments later, looking somewhat harried, he gave a report of his short scouting mission. "Guys - ya might want to ditch those mechs. There just gonna be in the way, under the circumstances."

Zero nodded his understanding, leaping from the Kangaroo. "What's security like up there?"

"Pretty nasty," Turb answered as Flurry sprang lightly out of the Hawk. "There are laser barriers, motion sensitive crap - the works."

Flurry frowned in concern. "Then how -"

"I don't know," Turb cut her off.

Zero spun sharply as the radio in his mech sputtered. "Zero! Hey, Zero! Answer me, will ya?"

Making a face, the red-armored Reploid jumped into his mech. "What is it, X?"

"Uh, do you guys know where you're supposed to be heading?"

"Not really, no," Zero responded acidly. "We were supposed to be heading somewhere in particular?"

"Yeah," X answered, ignoring his tone, and supplied the coordinates. "The scientists are loose - we found 'em with Juniper. Laser trap." Turb stirred slightly at the mention of the female robot's name. "Everyone's okay, but only Joon really knows where everything is." He paused. "You guys seen Vengeance?"

"Of course they haven't," an angry female voice broke in. "He's probably already with Sigma." She stopped, then spoke directly to Zero. "Go through the walls."

"Wha -?" Zero began, gazing at his radio in consternation.

"Never mind," X snapped, resenting the interruption, "Let's just get moving, here."

The transmission ended, and Zero jumped down again. "Right, guys - you heard her. Through the walls."

Flurry smiled suddenly. "We get to keep the mechs a while longer then, don't we?"

Zero looked at her, feeling slightly unsteady at her blissful smile. "I - uh."

She frowned at him. "Come on - what better way to shatter walls?" At his continued uncertainty, she said, "You said yourself that Kangaroo could smash through anything. And with me and my Hawk backing you up - what could go wrong?"

Zero preferred not to answer that question.

\--

Vengeance stumbled, sinking against a wall in exhaustion. Just down the hallway lay Sigma's lair, the central complex of the Company's computer network. He hung his head down between his knees, sobbing in pain. Some of the most complicated security was set up here, enough to take him down in two steps, if he wasn't careful. Already he had sustained brutal burns up one side of his body, a laser slash out of nowhere. It had nearly killed him.

He was breathing heavily, testament to the severity of his injuries.

Waiting for Joon was out of the question. With luck, she had already fled with the scientists, safe from Sigma and whatever else lurked ahead. Vengeance could not afford the uncertainty of his allies. They did not trust him, and he certainly wasn't placing his faith in them.

He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, thinking desperately about how to get past the intense security measures that locked him out of the computer lab.

Nothing came to mind.

"I could kill you where you're sitting."

His head jerked up. "So kill me," he gritted angrily.

"Where's the fun in that?" Sigma asked scornfully. "I prefer a good fight, myself."

Vengeance grinned mirthlessly. "Let me past security and I'll give you one."

"Be serious." For a moment, there was silence, and Vengeance thought that perhaps Sigma had left, but he spoke again. "And by the way - your friends are coming." He was gone after that.

Vengeance got slowly to his feet. They actually came . . . they -

He lurched away from the wall. NO!

Even if they were really coming, he could not afford to let them near Sigma. His creator's murderer belonged to him. I will have my vengeance.

Roaring in rage, Vengeance ran wildly at the far end of the hall, prepared to dodge lasers and other projectiles . . . but not the shield. It was like slamming into a brick wall. The impact tossed him to the floor, where he lay limp for several minutes.

"Impatient, aren't you?" Sigma said. "I think you'd rather wait for the others before facing me."

Reeling badly, he got to his feet again, eyes glazing over.

"Wh-why?" He crashed to his knees.

"I just wanted to show you how futile your efforts really are. You'll never defeat me. Even all together."

"Vengeance!" The words came from Juniper's mouth, running down the hall in front of four mechs and a hoverboard bearing two passengers. She skidded to a halt beside him, trying desperately to pull him to his feet.

He resisted adamantly, rising on his own.

"Brother," she murmured. "You're hurt."

He ignored her, staring at the others. "You . . . came."

The one called Flurry gazed at him sadly. "What could we do?"

The humans were not with them. Vengeance could only assume they had left them near the factory. "He is," the robot said, weariness cracking his voice, "in there - past . . . that."

"Past what?" Turb asked, blinking.

"The security field," Joon replied in her rich voice. "I helped install it."

"Then, uh, you know how to get past it . . . right?"

She smiled bitterly. "You can't."

"Can't . . . ?" Flurry asked unsteadily. "What do you mean can't?"

Juniper turned to them, letting Vengeance lean on her shoulder. "That force field - simply put, the more force you use against it, the harder it pushes you back."

Zero swung down from the Kangaroo, clearly determined to test this shield out for himself. The others followed in suit, but they made no move toward the invisible barrier. Walking up to it, he pressed his hand firmly against the air there. Startlingly, he encountered a fair amount of resistance. Pushing harder, he discovered that even the slightest increase in pressure sent a nasty shock through his arm. Wincing, he pulled his hand away, massaging it with the other. "All right," he said, then swung his fist at it as hard as he could. Seconds later, Flurry was pulling him to his feet; the force had flung him backwards hard enough to skid across the floor and land at her feet.

"Remarkable," he muttered. "But I think I know a way past it."

Flurry frowned at the mocking grin on his face, and he jumped back into Kangaroo and started the mech up again. "Zero, just what are you up to?"

"Well," he drawled, "I said this mech could smash through anything - let's see if I lied."

"You're crazy!" Tourian exclaimed.

"Just get out of my way," Zero answered him. "And you, too," he said to Joon and Vengeance, who stood to one side, barely out of the way.

"No matter what kind of force field it is," Zero was saying, much like a lecturing professor, "it can be overloaded. Even this sweetheart." With that, he charged forward, letting the maces run to full charge as he went. Juniper flinched back as one screamed past her, chain flailing behind it, to grind into the energy shield, spewing sparks. In the space of a thought, the other shot past to join its companion. Zero and the rest of the mech were close behind, but at the last second, the red Reploid sprang backwards and ran the other way down the hall, grabbing Joon and Vengeance as he went.

He turned upon reaching the others and watch his handiwork. The mech was twitching convulsively, somehow caught up in the barrier, rather than repulsed by it. Sparks skittered over the floor, and the shield began to send vibrations down the hallway. Flurry stepped forward, and her brother joined her, taking her hand. In a brilliant flash of light, the mech exploded, and shield gave the halls a final, desperate shudder.

"I, eh, think that should have taken care of the problem," Zero said drily, buffing his nails in a self-congratulatory manner.

Juniper darted forward past the wreckage, confirming that the shield was indeed down. "We can proceed," she said, amusement in her voice.

Flurry glanced behind her with a sigh, realizing that they would have to leave the mechs behind. "Come on," she said sharply. "We've got a computer to take down!"

With that, she bolted down the hall, the others following swiftly, only Turbulence dragging his favored mode of transportation along.

"Is that the only security we should be looking for?" X shouted to Juniper, and she shook her head.

"I don't know! It's the only one I know of - in this hall." She paused, glancing up at Flurry's running figure. "He could have installed any number of things . . . in the other areas."

Flurry skidded to a sudden halt, flipping backwards to dodge the violent barrage of laser bolts that issued from the wall around the door. They were similar to the ones that had nearly downed Vengeance, and he growled sharply as Flurry scampered back to join the group. "That's the last time I go on point!" she declared.

"Are you hurt?" Tourian asked her.

"Nah - startled me, that's all." She walked quickly past to avoid his seeing the slight burn that scored the armor on her leg.

"Motion sensitive," said Joon.

"Yeah," Turb agreed. "And limited range. They'll only hit you if you go near that door."

X frowned, lost in thought. "How d'you think we should get past it?" he asked.

Joon smiled again. "I'm counting on your creativity," she said.

X grimaced. "Thanks." He turned to the others. "I don't want to sacrifice another mech, but if there's no other way. . . ."

"There's always another way," Zero said absently.

Tourian was staring abstractedly down the hallway, watching the points the lasers seemed to emanate from. "Uh, guys," he said, "I think I have an idea." He pointed down the hall. "See those laser ports?"

Zero nodded. "What have you got in mind?"

Tourian grinned a little crazily. "Watch." His hand balled momentarily into a fist, and he released a shock of energy down the hallway. Reacting to the movement, the lasers lashed out again, but they failed to deter the energy from its course. A moment later, one of the guns stopped flashing.

Vengeance started laughing helplessly. "How - pathetic! I can't believe we didn't -" He cut off, wincing at the sharp pain his laughter caused. "I'm all right," he assured the others.

At his words, they all turned and fired down the hall. One by one, the lasers were destroyed, and the hallway was left in smoking dimness.

"Did we get all of them?" Flurry asked softly.

Vengeance stumbled forward. "One way to find out." He ran toward the door, ignoring the suddenly yelped objections from behind. He came to a halt just before the door and smiled back at them. "The lasers," he said, pausing for dramatic effect, "are deactivated."

Juniper snickered as they walked up to join him.

"But do you think the door will -"

Flurry's voice drained away as the door slid grandly aside, answering her question. Her mouth tightened, and she glanced at Zero, who nodded slowly.

"Watch your step," he muttered.

"Oh, come in, why don't you?" Sigma said flatly. "I didn't go to all the trouble of letting you get here to have you loiter at the doorway."

Letting us . . . get here? Flurry stopped.

"Hurry up about it!" Sigma snarled.

Tourian took her arm and pulled her inside, following X and Zero, who took the lead. Juniper and Vengeance stayed toward the back, eyes glaring ahead with deadly rage. Turb still had his hoverboard tucked under his arm; he refused to part with it. Maelstrom glanced around nervously, barely able to cope with walking directly into the lair of his enemy - and an obvious trap.

"You may be wondering why I let you in," Sigma said smoothly, but his voice betrayed a scarcely veiled emotion: pure rage.

Zero heard it and nodded slightly at X, who allowed a faint smile to slip onto his face. "Of course," X said lazily.

"I feel a demonstration is in order."

"A demonstration of what?" X asked, beginning to pace about the room.

"I wouldn't do that."

X froze.

"A demonstration of my power, of course," Sigma continued when he did so. "This Company has proved to be a marvelous base - a perfect center for my power. A pity I didn't let you bring me here sooner."

Flurry's mouth twisted into a bitter sneer. "We didn't make you run scared in Zephyr."

A light chuckle with a warning note. "Clever little vixen."

Flurry snarled.

"Be still," Zero snapped, holding her shoulder.

"You'd do well to heed him," Sigma yawned. "Watch."

They all spun at a sharp gasp from Juniper. She appeared to levitated about four feet up in the air, struggling wildly against the unseen bonds that pinned her arms to her sides. She wrenched her head from side to side, kicking wildly, but then whatever had her arms took hold of her legs as well. Turbulence gave a strangled cry, lurching toward her, but Maelstrom grabbed him. She hovered there for a moment, eyes wild.

Then she started screaming.

Speaking above her, Sigma said conversationally, "I can use the very air against you." He sounded amused. "Almost telekinetic," he murmured. "But not quite. The late Mrs. Holcomb installed a peculiar new type of energy generator in this room. It's built into the walls, the ceiling, the floor -"

"Stop it!" Turb howled. "Stop hurting her!"

"Very well," Sigma grumbled.

Joon stopped screaming, only a sobbing gasp coming from her throat.

"As I was saying, I can transform the particles of air - or whatever else - in this room into a deadly force. I can kill all of you without firing a shot." He sighed. "She had it built long before I came here. The only problem with it? There was no way to run the thing. Until me."

X backed slowly away, drawing nearer to his friends.

Turb stared up at Juniper. "Let her down - please, let her down."

Sigma made a discontented noise. "A lovesick robot. Now I've seen it all."

Juniper fell to the floor with a crash, and Turbulence ran over to her. She looked up at him, startled, and allowed him to help her to her feet. They stood side by side, neither moving an inch closer or farther away. Vengeance took a swaying step forward, eyes grim.

"So why don't you just kill us all now?" he snarled.

"Where's the fun in that?" Sigma asked, echoing his earlier words.

Zero walked over to Flurry, putting a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her. He leaned his head down next to her ear. "When I give the word - head for that computer." His voice was barely audible, and he nodded imperceptibly to the central mass that took up most of the floor space. "Figure a way to trap him. For good."

Flurry gave absolutely no indication that he'd said anything, but he knew she'd heard. He glanced at X, who met his eyes, and the pair went to work.

"So you've got this new power," X said boredly. "So what?"

"We've beaten you before - we can sure do it again," remarked Zero.

The two began to circle. Flurry moved next to Tourian, putting her hands around his waist. He glanced down, curious. "A plan," she whispered to him, then disengaged her arms.

Tourian tensed, watching the three. Whatever plan they had, he hoped it was going to work. X and Zero continued their circle, now halfway around the primary computer. Zero met Flurry's eyes, and, not wavering from their gaze, he reached casually for his saber.

Sigma seemed to be paying a curious amount of attention to them both. "Not in this form. My ultimate form." His voice sounded slightly edgy. "I always escape you."

Zero's eyes flashed with what appeared to be anger, and Flurry darted lithely forward. Sigma nearly noticed her, until Zero whipped out his saber and sent it spinning for the central block above the computer. At the same moment, X started firing at it. Flurry scrambled for a computer terminal, working fast to get to the raw data she needed to trap their nemesis. Sigma screeched in utter fury, and X gave a cry, thrown suddenly backwards into the wall. That'll be the first to go, Flurry thought, fingers dancing desperately over the keyboard.

X got to his feet again, and Zero darted over, retrieving his saber from where it had fallen to the floor. "Get to it, Flurry!" he barked sharply.

Gotcha! she snapped to herself, slicing Sigma's connection to the strange devices that had the ability control the air. Now for step two.

"A very clever vixen," Sigma hissed, and Tourian jumped up sharply.

"Flurry, watch it!" Tourian shouted, but she didn't hear him, either.

She bored through the system, smashing, slicing, dicing, crushing any connection the Sigma virus had to the computer. Bit by bit, she cut his range off, trapping in an ever tighter cage of computer circuitry and programming. And he knew it, too. He fought her wildly, sometimes breaking through her barriers. She reacted by erecting new ones immediately after. Sweat would have beaded on her brow, had she been human. Kreyin, though he had seen fit to give her and her brother the ability to cry, hadn't bothered with sweat glands.

"Zero!" she cried out, "I need help! NOW!"

Zero immediately ran to another terminal, and the others followed. X seated himself at a keyboard, but he was unable to offer any aid to the robots in their race against Sigma. The complex program they were devising twisted and lurched, Flurry writing the first part, Zero strengthening what she had done as he followed.

Sigma's voice came over the speakers. "How dare you."

Tendrils of electrical energy suddenly reared from the keyboard, slashing at Flurry, who screamed sharply, throwing her arm up to ward them off. She put her hand down quickly, working through the storm to finish the program, but the energy suddenly shot out at her. Her seat tipped, and she dropped, howling, to the floor, where the light pushed her powerfully away. Zero almost scrambled to his feet, but Tourian was already after her.

"Flurry!" he cried, catching her up in his arms.

She stirred, getting to her knees. "I've got - to finish."

Zero restrained a growl - Sigma was beginning to work on getting him away from the keyboard. Flurry returned to hers, and Juniper was suddenly beside her. "Listen," she said softly. "I know what you can do to cut him off completely."

With Joon's murmured instructions, Flurry went back to work, faster than before, eyes locked on the computer screen. X backed away from the computer, keeping a wary eye out for anything Sigma might do. Zero got up, staring at Flurry. "It's up to her now," he said flatly. "But we can all get to work on severing the power to the computer.

X grinned, trying to relieve the tension. "We can just pull the plug on him - why didn't I think of that before?"

"You can't do this," Sigma snarled at them. "You -"

His voice was abruptly cut off, and Flurry continued her work.

Vengeance happened to glance at one of the computer screens as he walked past. He gave a low hiss.

YOU CAN'T, it read. YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T - over and over, green letters crowding the screen forever. And suddenly, that cut off, too. I'LL BE BACK. Burned into the black of the computer screen.

"Hurry," Flurry whispered to them.

Zero was hacking indiscriminately at the cords in the room. "One of them has to cut off the power," he growled.

"Tourian!" X said sharply. "Start firing at the overhead generator."

Turb suddenly whipped out his hoverboard, which he had forgotten about in all the excitement. He jumped on board, swinging up around the center of the room, using his regular arm cannon to blast at what he thought might be sensitive parts of the equipment.

"Don't destroy the computer," Flurry's voice rang out.

Zero swung his saber for what he felt had better be the last time - or he was going to start swinging at something else - and the lights flashed and sputtered out. The green letters faded from the computer screen. Flurry sank back, breathing heavily.

"We - did it," Tourian said hesitantly.

X fell to one knee, nodding. "For now. For now we've won."

"Where are Vengeance and Juniper?" Zero asked sharply.

The six remaining robots stared about them in surprise, Turb bringing his hoverboard down to the ground.

Diane Holcomb's creations had disappeared.


	61. Ashes to Ashes

Vengeance stood in one of the doorways of the factory, gazing silently over the wreckage that lay within. The remains of Maelstrom's bike had long since stopped smoking, now blending into the rest of the hulks of metal as if it had been there for as many years as they. He took a step forward. His thirst for revenge was sated.

But he knew he could not stay.

Nor could any of this.

The factory had to go.

He raised his arm cannon, searching for a place to fire - somewhere that would set the entire thing aflame.

"Vengeance."

He didn't turned, lowering his arm cannon. "What are you doing here?" he asked his sister.

"I followed you."

"I know that," he snapped, turning his head. "But why?" He sounded angry. "You should have stayed with them."

She laughed bitterly. "What for? They would have destroyed me once they were finished with Sigma."

Their eyes met, and Vengeance backed down.

"You know why I'm here," he said, turning back, "I'm going to die."

She folded her arms across her chest, turning her head uncomfortably. "Not if we just leave."

"No."

She looked up at him sharply.

"My . . . purpose," he said, "was to seek - vengeance - against those who opposed Mrs. Holcomb."

"They still live," Joon said softly.

"But she does not."

Juniper stared at him, eyes widening with terrible understanding. "You have a free will!" she hissed. "You don't have to die with the death of your purpose!"

"I choose to."

"A fool's choice," she said bitterly.

"The factory must be destroyed. And I will destroy it." He pivoted to face her, suddenly crashing to his knees. "My wounds . . ." he laughed, strained, "are a little more severe than I thought."

She stepped over to help him, but he waved her away, getting to his feet.

"You have to leave," he muttered, voice a savage gasp.

He tumbled forward suddenly, and she caught him. He managed to lift his head up next to her ear, muttering, "Someone . . ." He shuddered in pain. "Someone has to . . . has to tell them - you have to show them . . . show them that - we can change."

He stood on his own then, moving toward a power generator. Joon stood staring at him, tears filling her eyes, strangely enough. His vision was similarly obscured when he faced her for the last time. He stood tall and coldly proud. "Go now," he said, strength filling his voice. "It must be done. I must do it." When she still stood there, he snarled, "GO!"

She took a step away from the door, anguish washing over her features. Somehow - inexplicably, she was unable to abandon him. Your final gift, Diane Holcomb, she thought. I must work with him as one . . . I must love my brother.

He had turned away from her, grimly at work on overloading the generators that ran power to the factory. Unable to do anything else, she began walking slowly down the hall, step measured and steady. Vengeance looked up at her once; she did not see him. He smiled silently. The final switch was pulled, and the last knell of doom had sounded - for him as well as the factory. He only hoped she could outrun the explosion.

\--

Juniper heard the shattering noise behind her. The factory trembled beneath her every step. A burning heat grew around her, punctuated by an occasional, fiery blast of wind that whipped her hair fast in front of her face. Still she walked slowly. The door outside, her portal to safety, appeared before her, and yet she refused to go any faster.

The heat scorched around her, a sudden blast throwing her forward, almost to the door. Oddly, she felt no pain, almost as if her body welcomed the idea of death. She could not escape. The thought was no threat to her now; she was resigned.

But suddenly, arms were around her waist, dragging her toward the doorway, and a strangely familiar voice was saying to her, "Not yet, please. I just found you - I can't lose you now!"

Turbulence.

She immediately began to struggle, but they were outside - cool, gentle breeze - and he was laying her on the ground. Flurry and Tourian stood near her, Tourian checking her vital signs, Flurry taking her hand comfortingly. "What happened?" she asked, eyes sorrowful, as though she knew.

Juniper gave a low sob. "He - he told me to leave him." She turned her head to one side, tears spilling down her face. "I . . . left him there."

Turb suddenly shoved the other two out of the way, fiercely protective. "Leave her alone," he said shortly. "I can take care of her."

Tourian and Flurry backed away, walking to where X and Zero stood with Maelstrom and the two scientists, watching the factory burn. Flurry, suddenly insecure, put her arms around her brother's waist, gazing up into his eyes, which turned curiously down to hers. "Would you have left me there, Tourian?" she whispered.

He smiled sadly, reached over to ruffle her hair. "I would have stayed," he said with a faint grin, "or I would have dragged you out by your hair."

She answered with a tiny smile, turning her gaze to Dr. Kreyin.

I honestly don't know, Flurry. With luck, I'll never know.

X cleared his throat suddenly, watching Turbulence helping Juniper to her feet. "We should go," he said. "We can . . . think about what to do now - later."

Zero nodded in agreement, eyes still locked on the burning factory. The fire didn't appear to be spreading anywhere, so he turned to Maelstrom with a half-hearted grin. "So much for that bike, huh?" he said, "Guess we'll just have to build you a new one."

Maelstrom nodded slowly, not really hearing him, and walked over to his brother, helping him carry the half-conscious Juniper away from the building. Turb looked up at him, blinking in astonishment, then gave an uncertain smile of thanks.

The mech were still in the building, where the robots had left them in their rush, but no one saw fit to go and get them. Flurry and Tourian walked up with the scientists, X and Zero close behind, both curious about the two men who had managed to completely fuddle up their lives . . . simply by creating a couple of robots. Turbulence and Maelstrom walked in the back, made slow by their burden.

"Turbulence," Maelstrom said uncomfortably, "I . . . apologize."

Turb glanced at him. "For what?"

His eyes clouded momentarily. "You know."

Silent for a moment, Turb said, "I understand. There's nothing to apologize for."

Juniper stirred, murmuring something incoherent, and Turbulence caught Maelstrom's gaze. "Promise me you'll help take care of her," he said.

Maelstrom's brown eyes blinked once, not wavering from his brother's blue. "Yes. I will." He glanced at the black-haired beauty who had so stolen Turbulence's heart. "I promise."

Up ahead of them, Flurry fell back behind Tourian and Dr. Kreyin, who were relating to Scott one of their old adventures, almost as if nothing had happened that day. She stepped in between X and Zero, taking one of their arms in each of hers. They glanced at her, startled.

"I wanted to thank you," she said simply. "You've helped us . . . more than we can ever repay."

X stammered for a moment, unable to think of anything to say. Zero gave her a narrow-eyed stare, wondering what she was really up to.

"I'm not up to anything, Zero," she said, as if reading his thoughts. "That's really all I wanted to say - and I think I speak for everyone." She shrugged, falling silent. Then, "And - if you wanted to . . . to go your separate way, I think we'd understand."

She made to pull away, but Zero caught her arm, laughing. Smiling in spite of himself, X said, "I wouldn't understand. We've . . . gotten used to you all."

"He's trying to say that we actually like you guys," Zero grinned. "And besides - we don't know anything about your world." He let go of her, putting his hands back behind his head. "It'd be kinda dumb to just run off without learning anything about it."

Flurry's smile was dazzling, and she suddenly threw her arms around them both. "I'm so glad," she said, barely keeping back tears. "I almost offered to let you go home - but there isn't any way for us to do that anymore."

X smiled sadly down at her. Home.

But she was gone before they could say anything, she had darted up to Tourian, a smirk on her face. "Pay up, bro," they heard, "I told you they'd stay on."

Zero choked so hard that X suddenly turned to pound him on the back, and Flurry turned in surprise, hand suddenly covering her mouth.

"I'm such a loudmouth," she said, chuckling, and the two Reploids knew that she had meant them to hear every word. Then she turned back to the scientists, linking arms with them.

"She's a complex little person," Zero remarked drily.

X felt no need to comment on that, staring about the empty city almost sadly. "We could have prevented all this," he said.

"How?" Zero asked.

"By staying alive," X answered, shrugging.

Zero paused, glancing at the moody sky above them. "I don't know," he said soberly. "Maybe . . . maybe it just had to happen."

X grinned faintly. "Destiny, Zero?"

Zero grimaced, shaking his long hair silently. "Maybe. Maybe there's something to destiny, after all." He stopped, gazing grimly ahead. "But if it's my destiny to join Sigma, I'll fight it with every inch of my will."

Thus declared, he was silent.

X could find no words to say. The war would go on, he knew, and they would have to be doubly - or even more - careful now. Such a small group against such a mighty force. But they had won another battle.

He looked to the sky, to the clouds that hung silently overhead, watching them as they went. It began to rain, a gentle drizzle, washing over them in a pleasant hush.

This life was all he had now. And it was good enough.


End file.
